--- title: "Douglas J. Hoffer | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/douglas-j-hoffer-judge-eau-claire-county-circuit-court-wi" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-08-22" --- # Douglas J. Hoffer Eau Claire County Circuit Court · Judge ## Profile - Court: Eau Claire 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/douglas-j-hoffer-judge-eau-claire-county-circuit-court-wi", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/douglas-j-hoffer-judge-eau-claire-county-circuit-court-wi", "name": "Douglas J. 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Hoffer", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/douglas-j-hoffer-judge-eau-claire-county-circuit-court-wi" } ] } ] } ``` ## Biography ### Professional career - Legal Career: Deputy City Attorney, City of Eau Claire (2013–present) Associate Attorney, De La Mora & De La Mora, Elm Grove, WI (2010–2013) Former municipal attorney for five communities - Judge on Branch 2 of the Eau Claire County Circuit Court in Wisconsin, appointed by Governor Tony Evers on July 26, 2024, to serve until July 31, 2025 - Judge, Branch 2 of the Eau Claire County Circuit Court, one of six judges in the court selected by nonpartisan election - Practice Areas: Municipal litigation, appellate law, employment law, real estate and land use law, municipal prosecution, election law, public records law, contract drafting, and more ### Education - Marquette University Law School, Milwaukee, WI Undergraduate, University of Phoenix (online), Madison, WI High school, Verona Area High School, Verona, WI — J.D. ### Additional information - Appointed: July 26, 2024, to fill the vacancy caused by Judge Michael A. Schumacher’s resignation. - Hoffer has received the 2017 International Municipal Lawyers Association’s Brad D. Bailey Award and the 2020 State Bar of Wisconsin’s Charles Dunn Author Award. - City of Eau Claire (2018 WI 63), a Wisconsin Supreme Court case on tax incremental financing. - Notable Case: Represented the City of Eau Claire in Voters With Facts v. - Active in community leadership, including serving as president of the Chippewa Valley Museum Foundation Board and on the Leadership Eau Claire Committee. - The court handles most civil and criminal cases in Eau Claire County, and Branch 2 is one of its operational divisions. ## 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.