--- title: "Scott R. Needham | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/scott-r-needham-judge-st-croix-county-circuit-court-wi" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-08-22" --- # Scott R. Needham St. Croix County Circuit Court · Judge ## Profile - Court: St. Croix 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/scott-r-needham-judge-st-croix-county-circuit-court-wi", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/scott-r-needham-judge-st-croix-county-circuit-court-wi", "name": "Scott R. 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Needham", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/scott-r-needham-judge-st-croix-county-circuit-court-wi" } ] } ] } ``` ## Biography ### Professional career - Leadership: Chief Judge of the Tenth Judicial District, first appointed in 2011 and reappointed by the Wisconsin Supreme Court in 2015 - Judge of the St. Croix County Circuit Court in Wisconsin’s Tenth Judicial District, serving in Branch III - Previous roles: Deputy Chief Judge, Presiding Judge for St. Croix County for six years - While now a judge, Needham’s prior legal work included areas such as intellectual property, commercial and construction law ### Education - University of Wisconsin–Madison Law School — J.D. (1978) - Carthage College — B.A. (1975) ### Additional information - Elected to the bench: 1994; re-elected in 2000, 2006, and 2012. - Notable recognition: Named Trial Judge of the Year by the American Board of Trial Advocates in 2010. - Admitted: Wisconsin Bar (1978) and U.S. District Court, Western District of Wisconsin (1978). - Private practice: 16 years before joining the court. - Committee service: Former chair of the Criminal Jury Instruction Committee; served on the STOP Grant Committee. - Judge Needham and his wife, Jean, have three grown children. ## 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.