--- title: "Ashley J. Morse | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/ashley-j-morse-judge-rock-county-circuit-court-wi" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-08-22" --- # Ashley J. Morse Rock County Circuit Court · Judge ## Profile - Court: Rock County Circuit Court - State: Wisconsin - Role: Judge - Service status: active - Last verified: 2026-08-22 ## Summary Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge. ## Before you appear - Read the judge-specific standing order first when one is listed. - Check the docket and case orders for requirements that supersede broader guidance. - Confirm current remote-access and courtroom technology arrangements before the proceeding. ## Courtroom Rules ### camera notice Scope: statewide Wisconsin SCR 61 asks media to give the trial judge advance notice before bringing cameras or recording equipment into the courtroom. Evidence excerpt: the trial judge shall be given notice, at least 3 days in advance [Wisconsin SCR Chapter 61: Electronic Media and Still Photography Coverage of Judicial Proceedings](https://www.wicourts.gov/sc/scrule/DisplayDocument.html?content=html&seqNo=1099) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### courtroom equipment control Scope: statewide Wisconsin SCR 61 leaves courtroom equipment placement, lighting, and use subject to trial-judge control. Evidence excerpt: Only equipment approved by the trial judge in advance of the court proceeding may be used [Wisconsin SCR Chapter 61: Electronic Media and Still Photography Coverage of Judicial Proceedings](https://www.wicourts.gov/sc/scrule/DisplayDocument.html?content=html&seqNo=1099) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### remote hearing notice Scope: statewide Wisconsin's court system instructs parties that courts will notify them when a hearing is remote and provide joining instructions. Evidence excerpt: The court will send you instructions on how to join your remote hearing by video or by phone. [Wisconsin Court System: Zoom hearing resources](https://www.wicourts.gov/courts/zoom.htm) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### remote hearing technology Scope: statewide Wisconsin remote-hearing guidance tells participants to contact the clerk promptly if they lack reliable internet or phone access. Evidence excerpt: Contact the clerk of circuit court as soon as possible. [Wisconsin Court System: Zoom hearing resources](https://www.wicourts.gov/courts/zoom.htm) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ## Sources - [Official profile](https://www.wicourts.gov/courts/circuit/judges.htm) - [Official roster](https://www.wicourts.gov/courts/circuit/judges.htm) - [Wisconsin Court System official judicial roster](https://www.wicourts.gov/courts/circuit/judges.htm) - [Wisconsin SCR Chapter 61: Electronic Media and Still Photography Coverage of Judicial Proceedings](https://www.wicourts.gov/sc/scrule/DisplayDocument.html?content=html&seqNo=1099) - [Wisconsin Court System: Zoom hearing resources](https://www.wicourts.gov/courts/zoom.htm) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/ashley-j-morse-judge-rock-county-circuit-court-wi", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/ashley-j-morse-judge-rock-county-circuit-court-wi", "name": "Ashley J. Morse | KnowJudges", "description": "Ashley J. 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Dillon’s resignation - Judge on Branch 4 of the Rock County Circuit Court in Wisconsin, appointed by Governor Tony Evers in 2022, and is the first woman of color to serve on the Rock County bench - Before becoming a judge, Morse held a position as an assistant state public defender with the Wisconsin State Public Defender’s Office from 2010, joining the Janesville office in 2014. ### Education - J.D., University of Wisconsin Law School (2009) Admitted to the Wisconsin Bar (2009) and Illinois Bar (2010). - in History, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign — B.A. (2006) ### Additional information - In May 2026, Morse received the State Bar of Wisconsin’s Diversity & Inclusion Trailblazer Award for her work advancing equity and inclusion in the legal profession. - Later elected to the position in 2023. - She presides over cases in family, civil, and criminal matters in Rock County’s Fifth Judicial District. - She represented children in delinquency and juvenile protection cases, parents facing termination of parental rights, and adults in criminal and civil matters. - She also served on the Rock County Trauma Task Force and the Youth Justice Racial Disparities Committee, and was an Ambassador for Racial Justice with the National Juvenile Defender Center. - Morse was raised primarily by a single mother and has spoken publicly about her family’s challenges, including her biological father’s struggles with addiction and her stepfather’s death in the line of duty. - She is the first in her family to attend college and law school. - She is recognized for her commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion while serving on the bench. ## Published courtroom rules ### Shared court rules - [Wisconsin SCR Chapter 61: Electronic Media and Still Photography Coverage of Judicial Proceedings](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-36fa3f826227447b1512eede) — Scope is limited to the court class in the source claim. Shared court context only; case-type restrictions, exceptions, later amendments and case orders apply. This is not a personal preference or a complete rules inventory. [Official source](https://www.wicourts.gov/sc/scrule/DisplayDocument.html?content=html&seqNo=1099). Collected 2026-07-26.