Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations
Chapter 800 - Municipal court procedure.
800.09 - Judgment.

800.09 Judgment.
(1b) If the court finds a defendant guilty, the court may render judgment by ordering any of the following:
(a) A forfeiture, plus costs, fees, and surcharges imposed under ch. 814.
(b) Community service work.
(c) An operating privilege suspension or revocation if authorized by law.
(d) Other dispositions authorized by law.
(e) For juveniles, dispositions authorized under s. 938.17 (2).
(1d) The court shall apply any payment received on a judgment that includes restitution to first satisfy any payment of restitution ordered, then to pay the forfeiture, costs, fees, and surcharges.
(1g) The court may defer payment of any judgment or provide for installment payments. At the time that the judgment is rendered, the court shall inform the defendant, orally and in writing, of the date by which restitution and the payment of the forfeiture, plus costs, fees, and surcharges imposed under ch. 814, must be made, and of the possible consequences of failure to do so in timely fashion, including imprisonment, as provided in s. 800.095, or suspension of the defendant's motor vehicle operating privilege, as provided in sub. (1b) (c), if applicable. In addition, the court shall inform the defendant, orally and in writing, that the defendant should notify the court if he or she is unable to pay the judgment because of poverty, as that term is used in s. 814.29 (1) (d), and that he or she may request community service in lieu of payment of the judgment. If the defendant is not present, the court shall ensure that the information is sent to the defendant by mail. If the defendant is present and the court, using the criteria in s. 814.29 (1) (d), determines that the defendant is unable to pay the judgment because of poverty, the court shall provide the defendant with an opportunity to pay the judgment in installments, taking into account the defendant's income, or to perform community service in lieu of payment of the judgment. In 1st class cities, all of the written information required by this subsection shall be printed in English and Spanish and provided to each defendant.
(1j) If the court orders the defendant to perform community service work in lieu of making restitution or of paying the forfeiture, surcharges, fees and costs, or both, the court may order that the defendant perform community service work for a public agency or a nonprofit charitable organization that is approved by the court and agreed to by the public agency or nonprofit charitable organization. Community service work may be in lieu of restitution only if also agreed to by the person to whom restitution is owed. The number of hours of community service work required may not exceed the number determined by dividing the amount owed on the forfeiture by the minimum wage established under s. 104.035 (1). The court shall ensure that the defendant is provided a written statement of the terms of the community service order and that the community service order is monitored.
(3)
(a) If the operating privilege of a defendant is suspended under this section or s. 800.095, the court may terminate that suspension and substitute an installment payment plan for paying the amount of the judgment that takes into account the defendant's income.
(b) If the operating privilege of a defendant is suspended under this section or s. 800.095, the court shall terminate that suspension and substitute an installment payment plan for the payment of the amount of the judgment that takes into account the defendant's income if all of the following conditions apply:
1. The defendant is unable to pay the judgment in full because of poverty, as that term is used in s. 814.29 (1) (d).
2. The defendant has not previously failed to comply with an installment payment plan ordered under this section that takes into account the defendant's income.
(c) If the defendant fails to comply with an installment payment plan ordered under this subsection, the court shall reinstate the suspension of the defendant's operating privilege.
(4) Notwithstanding s. 755.045 or 800.115 (2), no municipal judgment alleged by the defendant to be void due to the existence of a conviction, suspension, or revocation arising from another matter that existed at the time of the municipal judgment shall be considered void by any court unless the defendant disclosed the conviction, suspension, or revocation with specificity and in writing to the municipal court and to the prosecuting attorney prior to the entry of the municipal judgment.
History: 1977 c. 305; 1979 c. 32 s. 68; Stats. 1979 s. 800.09; 1981 c. 317; 1985 a. 179; 1987 a. 27, 389; 1987 a. 399 s. 494u; 1989 a. 107; 1991 a. 39, 40, 189; 1993 a. 16; 1997 a. 27, 84; 1999 a. 9, 185; 2001 a. 16; 2003 a. 139; 2009 a. 17, 103, 402; 2011 a. 257; 2015 a. 55; 2019 a. 70; 2021 a. 240 s. 30.
Section 343.30 (5) does not preclude the suspension of operating privileges under this section or s. 800.095. Suspension of operating privileges for failure to pay non-traffic forfeitures is not an unconstitutional exercise of the police power or an unconstitutionally excessive fine. City of Milwaukee v. Kilgore, 193 Wis. 2d 168, 532 N.W.2d 690 (1995).
An award of costs of prosecution 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.
A municipal court is not authorized under former s. 885.04, 2017 stats., to subpoena persons outside of the state; thus the court in this case could not order an out of state defendant to appear in person. There is no inherent authority in the court authorizing such an order. City of Sun Prairie v. Davis, 226 Wis. 2d 738, 595 N.W.2d 635 (1999), 97-1651.