Wisconsin’s Criminal Justice Transparency Bill Becomes Law

 Posted on November 07, 2025 in Criminal Defense

Legislation intended to provide transparency to Wisconsin's state criminal justice system was signed into law on November 3, 2025. Assembly Bill 75 is now the 2025 Wisconsin Act 45, requiring the DOJ to gather data and turn that data into detailed information regarding how criminal cases are handled across the state. Citizens who find the Wisconsin justice system confusing and frustrating and want to understand why extremely disparate sentences are handed down will now have access to more information.

A searchable database will include the filing county, the names of the prosecutor and court official assigned to each case, the specific criminal charges filed, charges that may have been dismissed, whether a conviction resulted, and the charging recommendations from the referring law enforcement agency. The data collected must then be retained for a minimum of 10 years. This enables policymakers and the public to identify any trends in convictions, plea deals, or charging decisions. The goal is to maintain public trust in the Wisconsin judicial process.

Lawmakers believe this new transparency initiative will reveal trends in how criminal cases are prosecuted and resolved, strengthen public trust, and help policymakers identify disparities from one Wisconsin county to the next. Defense attorneys, prosecutors, and criminal justice researchers will find Act 45 marks a new era where the public now has access to the "behind the scenes" workings of Wisconsin criminal courts. If you are facing criminal charges in Wisconsin, it is crucial that you consult with a knowledgeable Racine County, WI, criminal defense attorney.

Why Was Wisconsin Act 45 Introduced?

Amid concerns regarding Wisconsin's plea bargaining practices, as well as growing calls for public data that allows the monitoring of disparities and outcomes, Wisconsin Act 45 saw bipartisan passage in May 2025 and was then signed into law on November 3, 2025. Act 45 is part of a broader wave of transparency measures modeled after data disclosure programs in Colorado and New York.

What Else Does Wisconsin Act 45 Require?

The Department of Justice must also issue an annual statewide report summarizing patterns in charging, plea bargaining, and conviction outcomes. Personally identifiable victim information will be excluded under Wisconsin Act 45. Juvenile cases and sealed records will remain confidential.

What Are the Implications of Wisconsin Act 45?

The transparency resulting from Wisconsin Act 45 will enable decisions in criminal cases to be compared across counties. These decisions can potentially influence future plea offers and charging practices to ensure consistency. Defense attorneys can use the information gathered from Wisconsin Act 45 as a valuable resource to analyze local plea rates, dismissal trends, and sentencing norms.

Disparities in sentencing can potentially support claims of selective prosecution or equal protection violations. Courts and judges can use the information from Act 45 to increase the efficiency of case management, regional discrepancies, and case-management efficiency. Policymakers can use the information garnered from Act 45 to guide future bail reforms, sentencing, and diversion programs.

Citizens gain important information regarding how justice is administered, while scholars can study long-term trends in crime disposition. The downside of this soon-to-be-available data is that raw numbers could oversimplify complex charging decisions, and when prosecutors’ names are linked to outcomes, public backlash could result. The first public database is expected to launch in late 2026.

Contact a Waukesha County, WI Criminal Defense Lawyer

Prosecutors, defense attorneys, defendants, and policy advocates should prepare for the coming transparency shift in Wisconsin’s criminal cases. Defense attorneys may use the information to leverage a more beneficial plea deal for a client, particularly when the data shows a specific prosecutor’s plea-bargaining trends.

If you are facing criminal charges, the best step you can take is to consult with a Racine County, WI felony defense attorney who will aggressively defend your charges. Attorney Bucher spent two decades as the Waukesha County District Attorney, which gives him a unique perspective on criminal defense cases. He has consistently litigated the most high-profile, complex cases in the state, personally handling dozens of homicides, hundreds of DUIs, and thousands of serious drug cases. Call 262-446-9222 to schedule your free consultation.