When you decide to initiate a civil or criminal appeal, the first action you must take is to file your Notice of Appeal in the circuit court that issued the judgment from which you are appealing. The date of filing for your Notice of Appeal begins the clock ticking on numerous critical deadlines. One such deadline is for filing your Statement on Transcript.
Within 14 days after filing your Notice of Appeal, you must file a Statement on Transcript with the clerk of court of the court of appeals. Wis. Stat. 809.11(4). You must also serve the Statement on Transcript on the opposing party and the clerk of the circuit court which granted the decision you are now appealing.
You can find a blank Statement on Transcript form online. Through the Statement on Transcript, you either (1) designate the portions of the transcript that you have requested from the court reporters, or (2) indicate that the transcripts are not necessary for the appeal.
The determination of whether your appeal will require transcripts is case-specific and depends on how your case was decided and what you wish to argue on appeal. If, for example, your case was decided primarily on written documents, it may not be necessary to request any transcripts from the lower court in order to proceed with your appeal. Alternatively, if you wish to make an argument on appeal that references anything that happened in a hearing in the circuit court, you must request the corresponding transcripts.
If you determine that transcripts are necessary for your appeal, you must contact the court reporter first to order the transcripts. If the applicable transcripts are not already on file, the court reporter will need to fill out a portion of the Statement on Transcript. After you have done this, you will have the information necessary to file your Statement on Transcript.
For further assistance in navigating the appellate process, contact the Alderman law Firm today for your free consultation by calling 720-588-3529 (CO) or 608-620-3529 (WI).