District Attorney Dashboard
Introducing Our Dashboard
Welcome to the Vilas County DA’s Office Data Dashboard. The core values of the DA’s Office include transparency and accountability. The data dashboards build on publicly available statistics and internal data. The purpose of this project is to make information about the work we do - and how that work relates to the broader criminal justice system - more transparent and understandable for all.
I hope that my office and all our partners in the criminal justice system can use these numbers to show what is working and to dedicate ourselves to what needs to be improved to make Vilas County safer, healthier and more prosperous for everyone.
Key Dashboard Takeaways
Where We Are Doing Well
The guiding philosophy of the Vilas County District Attorney’s Office is to 1) charge only when there is evidence that will allow the prosecutor to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, and 2) charge the count(s) that require a guilty plea. If the defendant chooses not to plead guilty, we may seek to add additional charges for a trial. In any case, the charges we file are supported by evidence that will allow us to prove guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. When we make a charging decision, we ask “Can we do this?” and “Should we do this?” The first question has to do with the facts and the law. The second question has to do with fairness and merit.Explore Cases Filed →The conviction rate has risen dramatically over the past five years, as have convictions resulting in incarceration. The number of cases filed has fallen to an appropriate level for a County with a population of approximately 23,000.Explore Cases Disposed →Where We Can Improve
A clear area for improvement for the criminal justice system is the length of time that it takes to complete a criminal case in our County. The time it takes to resolve a criminal prosecution is the product of a variety of factors including the fact that there are only two full-time prosecutors. Since the pandemic, that length of time has increased for both felonies and misdemeanors. While we saw a slight improvement in 2023, these numbers remain high, and we are looking for ways to reduce the time between referral and filing, and between filing and disposition.Explore Time to Disposition →What Is Next
All of this data is interesting, but to fully understand the prosecution process requires looking at new ways to examine our performance. An important goal of the prosecution function is to reduce recidivism, i.e., to deter offenders from re-offending. We are hopeful that the dashboard is a step towards developing an understanding of the people who do and do not re-offend. With that understanding, we can devise strategies for how to target recidivists most effectively.
Key Dates in Wisconsin's Criminal Justice System
When exploring the Vilas County DA Dashboard, there are important law and policy changes and events to account for. When interpreting this dashboard, consider whether these changes could explain a sudden change in the data.
Evidence-Based Decisions Making
Wisconsin implements evidence-based decision-making program to establish and test the application of evidence-based practices to criminal justice decisions, with the goal of achieving measurable reductions in pretrial misconduct and post-conviction risk of reoffending.
Marsy's Law
Voters approve an amendment to the Wisconsin Constitution that adds 17 specific rights for crime victims to the state constitution. The amendment includes rights to privacy, timely notice of release, full restitution from the accused, and notification of all proceedings of a criminal case upon request.
Increased Penalties for Len Bias Homicides
Wisconsin Legislature passes legsialtion to increase penalties for delivery of a controlled substance resulting in death.
This dashboard was created through the collaboration of the Vilas County District Attorney's Office, Loyola University Chicago's Center for Criminal Justice, Mindful Metrics, and the Prosecutorial Performance Indicators. The goal of the dashboard is to ensure that the general public has access to data about the review and prosecution of criminal cases in Vilas County. This project has been supported by Microsoft and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.
