Former Marshfield municipal clerk of courts charged with theft

MARSHFIELD, Wis. (WSAW) - The former Marshfield municipal clerk of courts was charged Monday with three counts of theft in a business setting.

Susan Carlson, 67, retired in 2020. According to City Administrator Steve Barg, Carlson held the position for many years. Upon Carlson’s retirement, Barg said the new Municipal Court Clerk discovered severe discrepancies in the court’s recordkeeping, dating back to at least 2010.

The new clerk, along with members of the city’s finance department, began examining records and found that records related to the payment of fines to the court were incorrect, incomplete, or in some cases had not been created at all.

Many payments had not been processed or deposited in city accounts, and required reports to the State of Wisconsin and Wood County had not been filed for many years.

Barg also said a significant total of cash receipts was found to be missing. At that time, law enforcement was contacted, and an investigation was completed by the Wisconsin Department of Justice, resulting in felony charges being filed in Wood County Circuit Court.

Carlson is free on a $5,000 signature bond.

Barg said there is a financial loss to the city; however, the city has insurance coverage for such losses.

In court Monday, Carlson requested a new judge. The case will not move forward until a new judge is assigned.

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