The courts at the Shawano County Courthouse are a busy place — and the holidays have nothing to do with it.
Ethan Schmidt, clerk of courts, said the number of criminal felony cases in the first 11 months of 2025 has already surpassed all of 2024.
“So far this year, we’ve had 707 felony cases filed; last year for the entire year, we had 616, so we’ve already surpassed that for felonies,” he told members of the public safety committee Dec. 4.
Criminal misdemeanor cases are also up over last year.
“We had 364 filed last year,” Schmidt said. “We’re at 430 through November, so we’re already outpacing last year’s rates as far as filed cases.”
The number of felony and misdemeanor cases far outnumber those in nearby Waupaca and Oconto counties.
“When you look at Oconto County — that’s a two-judge county — when it comes to the criminal side of things, most of ours are double if not triple the cases filed,” Schmidt said.
Felony cases filed in Waupaca County through November total 390, while misdemeanor cases number 378. In Oconto County, officials recorded 220 felony cases and 117 misdemeanor cases.
Criminal traffic cases in Shawano County totaled 211 year-to-date, compared to 176 in Waupaca County and 111 in Oconto County.
Traffic citations in Shawano County were 182 in November for a yearly total of 3,539. Waupaca County recorded 2,295 citations in 2025, and Oconto County is at 1,427 through November.
Also in Shawano County, officials 371 forfeitures this year, 242 family or paternity cases, 635 small claims cases and 268 civil cases.
There was one jury trial in November, bringing the yearly total to 11, Schmidt said.
There were 13 jury trials scheduled for November, but most are settled before the trial date. Records show there were 98 trials scheduled this year.
Also, an offer has been accepted that will fill the third assistant district attorney position. A fourth position is still vacant.
kpasson@newmedia-wi.com
