Performance evaluation

(1) The director of state courts shall establish a standard procedure for the regular evaluation of the job performance of circuit court commissioners, which shall include minimum performance standards that a circuit court commissioner must meet to be certified as qualified. (2) The chief judge shall appoint annually one or more supervising judges for each circuit court commissioner. The supervising judge or judges shall communicate responsibilities and performance objectives to the commissioner and shall evaluate annually, pursuant to the procedures and performance standards established under sub. (1), the performance of each circuit court commissioner under his, her or their supervision. The supervising judge or judges shall recommend to the chief judge whether the circuit court commissioner should be certified as qualified to continue in that capacity in the succeeding year. The recommendation of the supervising judge or judges shall be in writing and supported by reasons and shall include findings regarding all of the following: (a) Whether the circuit court commissioner has met or exceeded the minimum performance standards established under sub. (1). (b) Whether the circuit court commissioner is subject to any disciplinary order which forbids him or her to act in a quasi-judicial capacity or is currently suspended or removed from office. (c) Whether the circuit court commissioner, if required to do so, has complied with SCR 70.36 (5) and 75.05 and has attended specific educational programs recommended by the chief judge. (3) The chief judge, upon considering the recommendation of the supervising judge or judges, shall certify annually each circuit court commissioner as qualified to act in that capacity or deny that certification. The chief judge may not certify any circuit court commissioner as qualified unless affirmative findings have been made under sub. (2) (a) and (c) and a negative finding has been made under sub. (2) (b). COMMENT Unless the circuit court commissioner has met minimum performance standards, complied with rules relating to education and prompt decision making and is not under ethical sanctions, he or she cannot be certified as qualified to discharge the functions of the office. Local jurisdictions may use members of the bar and civic and consumer groups to assist the supervising judge in the evaluation process. Under SCR 75.01, this section applies to supplemental court commissioners authorized by a chief judge under SCR 75.02 (3) to perform specified duties on a temporary or occasional basis. 329