Section 885.58. Use in civil cases and special proceedings.

 

(1)  Subject to the standards and criteria set forth in ss. 885.54 and 885.56 and to the limitations of sub. (2) , a circuit court may, on its own motion or at the request of any party, in any civil case or special proceeding permit the use of videoconferencing technology in any pre-trial, trial, or post-trial hearing.

(2)  

(a) A proponent of a witness via videoconferencing technology at any evidentiary hearing or trial shall file a notice of intention to present testimony by videoconference technology 30 days prior to the scheduled start of the proceeding. Any other party may file an objection to the testimony of a witness by videoconferencing technology within 10 days of the filing of the notice of intention. If the time limits of the proceeding do not permit the time periods provided for in this paragraph, the court may in its discretion shorten the time to file notice of intention and objection.

(b) The court shall determine the objection in the exercise of its discretion under the criteria set forth in s. 885.56 .

Sup. Ct. Order No. 07-12 , 2008 WI 37, 305 Wis. 2d xli. Comment, 2008: ? Regarding section 885.58, civil cases and special proceedings in general pose few problems of constitutional dimension concerning the use of videoconferencing technology and offer litigants the potential of significant savings in trial expenses. For these reasons, this technology will likely gain rapid acceptance resulting in expanding use. Where objections are raised, the rule provides that the circuit court will resolve the issue pursuant to the standards and decisional guidance set out in ss. 885.54 and 885.56.