On Monday, April 11, 2022, Attorney Amy Risseeuw testified before the Wisconsin Supreme Court in her role as President of the Wisconsin Association for Justice (WAJ). During the pandemic, the Wisconsin Supreme Court had issued an emergency order permitting court reporters to swear in witnesses remotely through the use of audio-visual equipment (Zoom and other video conference apps). Prior to this order, Wisconsin law required the court reporter to be physically present with the witness to administer the oath. WAJ petitioned the Wisconsin Supreme Court to make this temporary order a permanent change. The petition was granted and a new statute, Sec. 804.03(4) was created. In addition to keeping people safe during the pandemic, this permanent change will help litigants have reduced costs, allow more comfortable taking of testimony for disabled individuals, and generally provide more convenience in the litigation process.
