Rule (Identification of victims and others in briefing, petitions for review, and responses to petitions for review)
Wis. Stat. § 809.86
in effect(1) Declaration of policy. By enacting this rule, the supreme court intends to better protect the privacy and dignity interests of crime victims. It requires appellate briefs, petitions for review, and responses to petitions for review to identify crime victims by use of identifiers, as specified in sub. (4), unless there is good cause for noncompliance. The rule protects the identity of victims in appellate briefs, petitions for review, and responses to petitions for review that the courts make available online.
(2) Applicability. This section applies to appeals in the following types of cases:
(a) Section 971.17 proceedings.
(b) Criminal cases.
(c) Chapter 938 cases.
(d) Chapter 980 cases.
(e) Certiorari review of decisions or orders entered by the department of corrections, the department of health services, or the parole commission in a proceeding or case specified in pars. (a) to (d).
(f) Collateral challenges to judgments or orders entered in a proceeding or case specified in pars. (a) to (e).
(3) Definition. In this section, “victim” means a natural person against whom a crime, other than a homicide, has been committed or alleged to have been committed in the appeal or proceeding. “Victim” does not include the person convicted of or alleged to have committed a crime at issue in the appeal or proceeding.
(4) Briefs, petitions for review, and responses to petitions for review. In an appeal specified under sub. (2), the briefs of the parties, petitions for review, and responses to petitions for review shall not, without good cause, identify a victim by any part of his or her name but may identify a victim by one or more initials or other appropriate pseudonym or designation.
(5) Protective order. For good cause, the court may make any order necessary to protect the identity of a victim or other person, or to excuse compliance with this section.
Source: WI Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/statutes/809.86Fetched: 10/7/2026