Milwaukee County’s goal is to enrich your life by providing essential services that meet your needs and those of your family, neighbors, co-workers and friends.
We enhance the quality of life in Milwaukee County through great public service.
Milwaukee County is home to over 950,000 people living in one of 19 communities, which range in size from the City of Milwaukee, with 595,000 residents, to the Village of River Hills, with roughly 1,600 residents.
Find information about things to do and happenings in Milwaukee County.
Carl Ashley
Our in-person office hours are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Judge Carl Ashley was appointed as Chief Judge of the First Judicial District effective April 15, 2023, by the Supreme Court of Wisconsin. He is the Chair of the Milwaukee Community Justice Council (MCJC).
During his 24 years on the bench, he had the privilege to serve in every court division (Misdemeanor, Felony, Family Court, Large Claims Civil, and Children's Court), as well as the Adult Drug Treatment Court, Veterans Treatment Court, and Domestic Violence Court.
Judge Ashley is Chair of the Supreme Court Planning and Policy Subcommittee on Effective Justice Strategies (EJS). Judge Ashley is also Past Chair of the Wisconsin State Bar Diversity and Inclusion Oversight Committee. He is the Chair of the Milwaukee County Race, Equity and Procedural Justice Committee.
He is a member of the Evidenced-based Sentencing Judicial Peer Group for the National Center for State Courts. He is a faculty member of the Wisconsin Judicial College. He is the Chair of the Wisconsin Association of Treatment Court Professionals (WATCP) Subcommittee on Equity and Inclusion.
In 2003, he received the Innovator of the Year Award in recognition of vision, creativity, and innovative spirit. In 2011, he was selected by the State Bar of Wisconsin as Judge of the Year. In 2013, Judge Ashley received the Leaders in the Law Award from the Wisconsin Law Journal. In 2014 and 2015, Judge Ashley was presented with the State Bar’s President’s Award. In 2016, he received the E. Michael McCann Distinguished Public Service Award. In 2019, he received the Charles L. Goldberg, Distinguished Service Award from the Wisconsin Law Foundation.
[email protected]
Milwaukee County Circuit Court Extends Cancellations, Procedural Changes Due to COVID-19 Precautions March 23, 2020
On March 22, 2020, the Wisconsin Supreme Court issued two Administrative Orders: one postponing all civil and criminal jury trials statewide through May 22, 2020, and the second stating that, subject to certain exceptions, all proceedings in the courts of this state are to be conducted via remote audio-video technology if practicable.
The Local Rules of the First Judicial District have been substantially revised. New rules governing the civil and criminal divisions and new rules generally applicable in all divisions became effective March 1, 2009. New rules governing the family division become effective on April 15, 2010.
New rules regarding the children’s division are being developed. Consult this site for updates and an opportunity to comment on the proposed rules.
If you have comments regarding the new local rules, direct them to Judge Kevin Martens at [email protected], the chair of the Local Rules Revision Project Committee.
View Local Court Rules
901 North 9th Street, Room 104 Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53233 (414) 278-5362
Office hours: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.