Appointment; authorization

(1) The chief judge of a judicial administrative district shall appoint within the district, as authorized by law, officers of the court to perform limited judicial and quasi-judicial functions under the direction and authority of the chief judge and the judges of the circuit. These officers of the court shall be selected on the basis of merit through a process approved by the chief judge and the circuit court judges of the counties in which the officers will serve. The chief judge may appoint, under this subsection, only persons who are licensed to practice law in this state, are in good standing, 327 and who have been licensed to practice law in any state for 3 years immediately before the appointment, except as otherwise provided by statute. (2)(a) The chief judge shall, by order, authorize each person appointed under sub. (1) to perform one or more specific duties allowed court commissioners by statute and approved by the supreme court. (b) When a new duty of circuit court commissioners is created by statute, the director of state courts shall submit the statute to the supreme court for its consideration. If the court does not expressly approve or disapprove the duty or extend the time for its consideration within 30 days of its submission, the statutory duty will be deemed approved by the court and may be considered a duty that may, by order of the chief judge, be assigned to court commissioners. (3) The chief judge may, by order, authorize a supplemental court commissioner to perform on a temporary or occasional basis one or more specific duties allowed court commissioners by statute and approved by the supreme court. (4) Upon application of a judge within the judicial administrative district exercising probate jurisdiction, the chief judge may, by order, authorize a register in probate to perform the duties of a circuit court commissioner in probate matters. COMMENT Based on s. 757.69, stats., sub. (2) requires that the order of appointment enumerate specific duties to be performed. It is not expected that every circuit court commissioner will be authorized to perform all of the duties allowed court commissioners by statute and approved by the supreme court. Subsection (4) is based on s. 851.73 (1) (g), stats.