Wisconsin Code § 809.107

Appeals in proceedings related to termination of parental rights
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(1) APPLICABILITY. This section applies to the appeal of an order or judgment under s. 48.43 and supersedes all inconsistent provisions of this chapter.
(1m) DEFINITION. In this section, “appellant” means a person who files a notice of intent to pursue postdisposition or appellate relief.
(2) APPEAL OR POSTDISPOSITION MOTION. (am) Appeal procedure; counsel to continue. A person seeking postdisposition or
appellate relief shall comply with this section. If the person desires to pursue postdisposition or appellate relief, counsel representing the person during circuit court proceedings under s.
48.427 shall continue representation by filing a notice under par.
(bm), unless sooner discharged by the person or by the circuit
court.
(bm) Notice of intent to pursue postdisposition or appellate
relief. A person shall initiate an appeal under this section by filing, within 30 days after the date of entry of the judgment or order appealed from, as specified in s. 808.04 (7m), a notice of intent to pursue postdisposition or appellate relief with the clerk of
the circuit court in which the judgment or order appealed from
was entered. Also within that time period, the appellant shall
serve a copy of the notice of intent on the person representing the
interests of the public, opposing counsel, the guardian ad litem
appointed under s. 48.235 (1) (c) for the child who is the subject
of the proceeding, the child’s parent and any guardian and any
custodian appointed under s. 48.427 (3m). If the record discloses
that final adjudication occurred after the notice of intent was
filed, the notice shall be treated as filed after entry of the judgment or order appealed from on the day of the entry of the final
judgment or order. The notice of intent shall include all of the
following:
1. The circuit court case name, number, and caption.
2. An identification of the judgment or order from which the
appellant intends to seek postdisposition or appellate relief and
the date on which the judgment or order was entered.
3. The name and address of the appellant and the appellant’s
trial counsel.
4. For an appellant other than the state, whether the trial
counsel for the appellant was appointed by the state public defender and, if so, whether the appellant’s financial circumstances
have materially improved since the date on which the appellant’s
indigency was determined.
4m. Whether the appellant requests representation by the
state public defender for purposes of postdisposition or appellate
relief.
5. For an appellant other than the state, who does not request
representation by the state public defender, whether the appellant
will represent himself or herself or will be represented by retained
counsel. If the appellant has retained counsel to pursue postdisposition or appellate relief, counsel’s name and address shall be
included.
6. For an appellant other than the state, the signature of the
appellant on whose behalf the notice of intent is filed. Appellant’s counsel, if any, shall also sign the notice, but may not sign
in lieu of the appellant.
(c) Early notice of intent to pursue postdisposition or appellate relief. If the record discloses that the judgment or order appealed from was entered after the notice of intent to pursue postdisposition or appellate relief was filed, the notice of intent shall
be treated as filed after that entry and on the date of the entry.
(3) CLERK TO SEND MATERIALS. Within 5 days after a notice
under sub. (2) (bm) is filed, the clerk of the circuit court shall do
all of the following:
(a) If the appellant requests representation by the state public
defender for purposes of postdisposition or appellate relief, the
clerk shall send to the state public defender’s appellate intake office a copy of the notice of intent that shows the date on which the
notice was filed, a copy of the judgment or order specified in the
notice that shows the date on which the judgment or order was
entered, a list of the court reporters for each proceeding in the action in which the judgment or order was entered, and a list of
those proceedings for which a transcript already has been filed
with the clerk of circuit court.
(b) If the appellant does not request representation by the state
public defender, the clerk shall send or furnish to the appellant, if
the appellant is appearing without counsel, or to the appellant’s
attorney, if one has been retained, a copy of the judgment or order
specified in the notice that shows the date on which the judgment
or order was entered, a list of the court reporters for each proceeding in the action in which the judgment or order was entered,
and a list of those proceedings in which a transcript already has
been filed with the clerk of circuit court.
(4) REQUEST FOR TRANSCRIPT AND CIRCUIT COURT CASE
RECORD. (a) State public defender appointment of counsel.
Within 15 days after the state public defender appellate intake office receives the materials from the clerk of circuit court under
sub. (3) (a), the state public defender shall appoint counsel for the
appellant and request a transcript of the court reporter’s verbatim
record and a copy of the circuit court case record.
(b) Person not represented by public defender. An appellant
who does not request representation by the state public defender
for purposes of postdisposition or appellate relief shall request a
transcript of the court reporter’s verbatim record, and may request a copy of the circuit court case record within 15 days after
filing the notice of intent under sub. (2) (bm). An appellant who
is denied representation by the state public defender for purposes
of postdisposition or appellate relief shall request a transcript of
the court reporter’s verbatim record, and may request a copy of

the circuit court case record, within 30 days after filing a notice of
intent under sub. (2) (bm).
(4m) FILING AND SERVICE OF TRANSCRIPT AND CIRCUIT
COURT CASE RECORD. The court reporter shall file the transcript
with the circuit court and serve a copy of the transcript on the appellant within 30 days after the transcript is requested. The clerk
of circuit court shall serve a copy of the circuit court case record
on the appellant within 30 days after the case record is requested,
and shall indicate in the case record the date and manner of
service.
(5) NOTICE OF APPEAL. (a) Filing; and service of notice of
appeal. Within 30 days after the later of the service of the transcript or the circuit court case record, unless extended under s.
809.82, the appellant shall file a notice of appeal as provided in s.
809.10 and serve a copy of the notice on the persons required to
be served under sub. (2) (bm). For an appellant other than the
state, the appellant on whose behalf the notice of appeal is filed
shall sign the notice. Appellant’s counsel, if any, shall also sign
the notice of appeal, but may not sign in lieu of the appellant.
Within 3 days after the filing of the notice of appeal, the clerk of
circuit court shall transmit to the court of appeals the notice of
appeal and a copy of the circuit court record of the case maintained pursuant to s. 59.40 (2) (b) or (c).
(ag) Docketing in court of appeals. The clerk of the court of
appeals shall docket the appeal upon receipt of the notice of appeal. The clerk shall assign a case number, create a notice that the
case has been docketed, and transmit the notice to the clerk of circuit court. The clerk shall serve the notice of docketing on paper
parties by traditional methods.
(am) Notice of abandonment of appeal. If the person who
filed a notice of intent to appeal under sub. (2) and requested a
transcript and case record under sub. (4) decides not to file a notice of appeal, that person shall notify the person required to be
served under sub. (2) of this decision, within 30 days after the service of the transcript and case record under sub. (4).
(b) Transmittal of record by clerk. The clerk of circuit court
shall transmit the record to the court of appeals as soon as the
record is prepared, but in no event more than 15 days after the filing of the notice of appeal.
(c) Requesting transcripts for other parties. The appellant
shall request a copy of the transcript of the court reporter’s verbatim record of the proceedings for each of the parties to the appeal
and make arrangements to pay for the transcript and copies
within 5 days after the filing of the notice of appeal.
(d) Statement on transcript. Within 5 days after filing the notice of appeal in the circuit court, the appellant shall file a statement on transcript with the clerk of circuit court, who shall transmit the statement on transcript to the clerk of the court of appeals
within 3 days after its filing. The statement on transcript shall either designate the portions of the transcript that have been requested by the appellant or contain a statement by the appellant
that a transcript is not necessary for prosecution of the appeal. If
a transcript is necessary for prosecution of the appeal, the statement on transcript shall also contain a statement by the court reporter that the appellant has requested copies of the transcript or
designated portions thereof for each of the other parties; that the
appellant has made arrangements to pay for the original transcript
and for all copies for other parties; the date on which the appellant requested the transcript and made arrangements to pay for it;
and the date on which the transcript must be served on the
parties.
(dm) Service for electronic filing users. For electronic filing
users in the circuit court case, receipt of the notice of appeal and
statement on transcript through the circuit court electronic filing
system shall constitute service. The appellant shall serve the notice of appeal and statement on transcript on paper parties by traditional methods.
(e) Service of transcript on other parties. The court reporter
shall serve copies of the transcript on the parties indicated in the
statement on transcript within 5 days after the date the appellant
requested copies of the transcript under par. (c).
(5m) NO-MERIT REPORTS. A s. 809.32 no-merit report, response, and supplemental no-merit report may be filed in an appeal from an order or judgment terminating parental rights. The
appointed attorney shall file in the court of appeals and serve on
the client-parent the no-merit report and certification within 15
days after the filing of the record on appeal. The appointed attorney shall serve on the client-parent a copy of the transcript and
the record on appeal at the same time that the no-merit report is
served on the client-parent. The client-parent may file in the
court of appeals a response to the no-merit report within 10 days
after service of the no-merit report. The attorney may file a supplemental no-merit report and affidavit within 10 days after receiving the response to the no-merit report.
(6) SUBSEQUENT PROCEEDINGS IN COURT OF APPEALS; PETITION FOR REVIEW IN SUPREME COURT. Subsequent proceedings
in the appeal are governed by the procedures for civil appeals and
the procedures under subch. VI, except as follows:
(a) Appellant’s brief-in-chief. The appellant shall file a brief
within 15 days after the filing of the record on appeal.
(am) Motion for remand. If the appellant intends to appeal on
any ground that may require postjudgment fact-finding, the appellant shall file a motion in the court of appeals, within 15 days
after the filing of the record on appeal, raising the issue and requesting that the court of appeals retain jurisdiction over the appeal and remand to the circuit court to hear and decide the issue.
If the appellant is not represented by counsel, the appellant shall
file any motion under this paragraph within 45 days after the filing of the record on appeal. The appellant’s counsel or, if the appellant is not represented by counsel, the appellant, shall file an
affidavit in support of the motion stating with specificity the reasons that postjudgment fact-finding is necessary. The person
signing the affidavit shall in the affidavit affirm under s. 802.05
(2) that, to the best of his or her knowledge, information, and belief, remand is warranted and is not being sought to cause unnecessary delay. If the court of appeals grants the motion for remand, it shall set time limits for the circuit court to hear and decide the issue, for the appellant to request transcripts of the hearing, and for the court reporter to file and serve the transcript of
the hearing. The court of appeals shall extend the time limit under par. (a) for the appellant to file a brief presenting all grounds
for relief in the pending appeal.
(b) Respondent’s brief. The respondent shall file a brief
within 10 days after the service of the later of the appellant’s brief
or the guardian ad litem’s brief, if the guardian ad litem takes the
position of the appellant.
(c) Appellant’s reply brief. The appellant shall file within 10
days after the service of the later of the respondent’s brief or the
guardian ad litem’s brief, if the guardian ad litem takes the position of the respondent, a reply brief or statement that a reply brief
will not be filed.
(d) Guardian ad litem’s brief. If the guardian ad litem appointed under s. 48.235 (1) (c) for the child who is the subject of
the proceeding takes the position of the appellant, the guardian ad
litem’s brief shall be filed within 15 days after the filing of the
record on appeal with the court of appeals. If the guardian ad
litem takes the position of a respondent, the guardian ad litem’s
brief shall be filed within 10 days after service of the appellant’s
brief. If the guardian ad litem chooses not to participate in an appeal, the guardian ad litem shall file with the court a statement of

reasons for not participating under s. 48.235 (7) within 15 days of
the filing of the notice of appeal.
(e) Decision. Cases appealed under this section shall be given
preference and shall be taken in an order that ensures that a decision is issued within 30 days after the filing of the appellant’s reply brief or statement that a reply brief will not be filed.
(f) Petition for review. A petition for review of an appeal in
the supreme court, if any, shall be filed within 30 days after the
date of the decision of the court of appeals. For a petitioner other
than the state, the petitioner on whose behalf the petition for review is filed shall sign the petition. Petitioner’s counsel, if any,
shall also sign the petition for review, but may not sign in lieu of
the petitioner. The supreme court shall give preference to a petition for review of an appeal filed under this paragraph.

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