Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations
Chapter 66 - General municipality law.
66.0114 - Actions for violation of ordinances.

66.0114 Actions for violation of ordinances.
(1) Collection of forfeitures and penalties.
(a) An action for violation of an ordinance or bylaw enacted by a city, village, town sanitary district or public inland lake protection and rehabilitation district is a civil action. All forfeitures and penalties imposed by an ordinance or bylaw of the city, village, town sanitary district or public inland lake protection and rehabilitation district, except as provided in ss. 345.20 to 345.53, may be collected in an action in the name of the city or village before the municipal court or in an action in the name of the city, village, town sanitary district or public inland lake protection and rehabilitation district before a court of record. If the action is in municipal court, the procedures under ch. 800 apply and the procedures under this section do not apply. If the action is in a court of record, it shall be commenced by warrant or summons under s. 968.04 or, if applicable, by citation under s. 778.25 or 778.26. A law enforcement officer may arrest the offender in all cases without warrant under s. 968.07. If the action is commenced by warrant the affidavit may be the complaint. The affidavit or complaint is sufficient if it alleges that the defendant has violated an ordinance or bylaw, specifying the ordinance or bylaw by section, chapter, title or otherwise with sufficient plainness to identify the ordinance or bylaw. The judge may release a defendant without a cash deposit or may permit him or her to execute an unsecured appearance bond upon arrest. In arrests without a warrant or summons a statement on the records of the court of the offense charged is the complaint unless the court directs that a formal complaint be issued. In all actions under this paragraph the defendant's plea shall be guilty, not guilty or no contest and shall be entered as not guilty on failure to plead. A plea of not guilty on failure to plead puts all matters in the case at issue, any other provision of law notwithstanding. The defendant may enter a not guilty plea by certified mail.
(b) Local ordinances, except as provided in this paragraph or ss. 345.20 to 345.53, may contain a provision for stipulation of guilt or no contest of any or all violations under those ordinances, may designate the manner in which the stipulation is to be made, and may fix the penalty to be paid. When a person charged with a violation for which stipulation of guilt or no contest is authorized makes a timely stipulation and pays the required penalty, plus costs, fees, and surcharges imposed under ch. 814, to the designated official, the person need not appear in court and no witness fees or other additional costs, fees, or surcharges may be imposed under ch. 814 unless the local ordinance so provides. A court appearance is required for a violation of a local ordinance in conformity with s. 346.63 (1).
(bm) The official receiving the penalties shall remit all moneys collected to the treasurer of the city, village, town sanitary district, or public inland lake protection and rehabilitation district in whose behalf the sum was paid, except that all jail surcharges imposed under ch. 814 shall be remitted to the county treasurer, within 20 days after their receipt by the official. If timely remittance is not made, the treasurer may collect the payment of the officer by action, in the name of the office, and upon the official bond of the officer, with interest at the rate of 12 percent per year from the date on which it was due. In the case of any other costs, fees, and surcharges imposed under ch. 814, the treasurer of the city, village, town sanitary district, or public inland lake protection and rehabilitation district shall remit to the secretary of administration the amount required by law to be paid on the actions entered during the preceding month on or before the first day of the next succeeding month. The governing body of the city, village, town sanitary district, or public inland lake protection and rehabilitation district shall by ordinance designate the official to receive the penalties and the terms under which the official qualifies.
(c) If the circuit court finds a defendant guilty in a forfeiture action based on a violation of an ordinance, the court shall render judgment as provided under ss. 800.09 and 800.095. If the court finds the violation meets the conditions in s. 800.093 (1) (a) and (b), the court may hold a hearing to determine if restitution shall be ordered under s. 800.093.
(2) Appeals. Appeals in actions in courts of record to recover forfeitures and penalties imposed by any ordinance or bylaw of a city, village, town sanitary district or public inland lake protection and rehabilitation district may be taken either by the defendant or by the city, village, town sanitary district or public inland lake protection and rehabilitation district. Appeals from circuit court in actions to recover forfeitures for ordinances enacted under ch. 349 shall be to the court of appeals. An appeal by the defendant shall include a bond to the city, village, town sanitary district or public inland lake protection and rehabilitation district with surety, to be approved by the judge, conditioned that if judgment is affirmed in whole or in part the defendant will pay the judgment and all costs and damages awarded against the defendant on the appeal. If the judgment is affirmed in whole or in part, execution may issue against both the defendant and the surety.
(3) Costs and fees; forfeitures to go to treasury.
(a) Fees in forfeiture actions in circuit court for violations of ordinances are prescribed in s. 814.63 (1) and (2).
(b) All forfeitures and penalties recovered for the violation of an ordinance or bylaw of a city, village, town, town sanitary district, or public inland lake protection and rehabilitation district shall be paid into the city, village, town, town sanitary district, or public inland lake protection and rehabilitation district treasury for the use of the city, village, town, town sanitary district, or public inland lake protection and rehabilitation district, except as provided in par. (c) and sub. (1) (bm). The judge shall report and pay into the treasury, quarterly, or at more frequent intervals if required, all moneys collected belonging to the city, village, town, town sanitary district, or public inland lake protection and rehabilitation district. The report shall be certified and filed in the office of the treasurer. The judge is entitled to duplicate receipts, one of which he or she shall file with the city, village, or town clerk, or with the town sanitary district or the public inland lake protection and rehabilitation district.
(c) The entire amount in excess of $150 of any forfeiture imposed for the violation of any traffic regulation in conformity with ch. 348 shall be transmitted to the county treasurer if the violation occurred on an interstate highway, a state trunk highway, or a highway over which the local highway authority does not have primary maintenance responsibility. The county treasurer shall then make payment to the secretary of administration as provided in s. 59.25 (3) (L).
History: 1971 c. 278; 1973 c. 336; 1975 c. 231; 1977 c. 29, 182, 269, 272, 305, 418, 447, 449; 1979 c. 32 s. 92 (17); 1979 c. 110 s. 60 (13); 1979 c. 331; 1981 c. 20, 317; 1983 a. 418 s. 8; 1987 a. 27, 389; Sup. Ct. Order, 146 Wis. 2d xiii (1988); 1989 a. 107; 1991 a. 39, 40, 189; 1993 a. 16, 167, 246, 491; 1995 a. 201, 349; 1997 a. 27; 1999 a. 9; 1999 a. 150 ss. 278 to 283; Stats. 1999 s. 66.0114; 2001 a. 16; 2003 a. 33, 139, 326.
Costs should be awarded a defendant who prevails in a municipal ordinance violation case. Milwaukee v. Leschke, 57 Wis. 2d 159, 203 N.W.2d 669 (1973).
The simultaneous sale of 4 different magazines by the same seller to the same buyer may give rise to separate violations of an obscenity ordinance. Madison v. Nickel, 66 Wis. 2d 71, 223 N.W.2d 865 (1974).
Under the rationale of Pedersen, 56 Wis. 2d 286, sub. (1) (c) is constitutional except when imprisonment under the statute is used as a means of collection from an indigent defendant. West Allis v. State ex rel. Tochalauski, 67 Wis. 2d 26, 226 N.W.2d 424 (1975).
Sub. (1) (a) does not authorize the issuance of arrest warrants without a showing of probable cause. State ex rel. Warrender v. Kenosha County Ct. 67 Wis. 2d 333, 231 N.W.2d 193 (1975).
An officer may make a warrantless arrest for an ordinance violation if a statutory counterpart of the ordinance exists. City of Madison v. Ricky Two Crow, 88 Wis. 2d 156, 276 N.W.2d 359 (Ct. App. 1979).
An award of costs of prosecution under sub. (1) (c) and s. 800.09 does not include actual attorney fees. Town of Wayne v. Bishop, 210 Wis. 2d 218, 565 N.W.2d 201 (Ct. App. 1997), 95-2387.
The appearance required under sub. (1) (b) in an OWI action under s. 346.63 (1) may be made by mail as it is a civil action; a defendant's not guilty plea was an appearance beginning the 10 day period in which a jury trial could be requested. City of Fond du Lac v. Kaehne, 229 Wis. 2d 323, 599 N.W.2d 870 (Ct. App. 1999), 98-3619.
The defendant has the burden to raise and prove indigency when imprisonment is ordered for failure to pay fine under sub. (1) (c). 64 Atty. Gen. 94.
A judgment for payment of a forfeiture can be docketed, accumulates interest at 12 percent, and may be enforced through collection remedies available in other civil proceedings. OAG 2-95.

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