11/18/2019- Marinette County’s Chief Judge Jim Morrison has released a statement commending the state Assembly’s passage of Assembly Bill 470 last week. The legislation would allow the creation of up to four new circuit court branches each year from 2021 through 2023. Judge Morrison says this is critical to making the justice system more effective in keeping up with a growing demand for the services courts provide to citizens. He adds that additional judges will allow for the expansion of treatment and other specialty court programs in areas where workload demands do not currently allow. The measure was approved by the Assembly 94 to 1. If the bill is passed by the Senate and ultimately signed into law, the director of state courts would allocate each additional branch to the counties they deem most in need.