Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations
Chapter 938 - Juvenile justice code.
938.23 - Right to counsel.

938.23 Right to counsel.
(1g) Definition. In this section, “counsel" means an attorney acting as adversary counsel.
(1j) Duties of Counsel. Counsel shall advance and protect the legal rights of the party represented. Counsel may not act as guardian ad litem for any party in the same proceeding.
(1m) Right of juveniles to legal representation. Juveniles subject to proceedings under this chapter shall be afforded legal representation as follows:
(a) A juvenile alleged to be delinquent under s. 938.12 or held in a juvenile detention facility shall be represented by counsel at all stages of the proceedings. A juvenile 15 years of age or older may waive counsel if the court is satisfied that the waiver is knowingly and voluntarily made and the court accepts the waiver. If the waiver is accepted, the court may not place the juvenile in a juvenile correctional facility or a secured residential care center for children and youth, transfer supervision of the juvenile to the department of corrections for participation in the serious juvenile offender program, or transfer jurisdiction over the juvenile to adult court.
(am) A juvenile subject to a sanction under s. 938.355 (6) (a) is entitled to representation by counsel at the hearing under s. 938.355 (6) (c).
(ar) A juvenile subject to proceedings under s. 938.357 (3) or (5) shall be afforded legal representation as provided in those subsections.
(b)
1. If a juvenile is alleged to be in need of protection or services under s. 938.13, the juvenile may be represented by counsel at the discretion of the court. Except as provided in subd. 2., a juvenile 15 years of age or older may waive counsel if the court is satisfied such waiver is knowingly and voluntarily made and the court accepts the waiver.
2. If the petition is contested, the court may not place the juvenile outside his or her home unless the juvenile is represented by counsel at the fact-finding hearing and subsequent proceedings. If the petition is not contested, the court may not place the juvenile outside his or her home unless the juvenile is represented by counsel at the hearing at which the placement is made. For a juvenile under 12 years of age, the court may appoint a guardian ad litem instead of counsel.
(2g) Right of Indian juvenile's parent or Indian custodian to counsel. Whenever an Indian juvenile is the subject of a proceeding under s. 938.13 (4), (6), (6m), or (7) involving the removal of the Indian juvenile from the home of his or her parent or Indian custodian or the placement of the Indian juvenile in an out-of-home care placement, the Indian juvenile's parent or Indian custodian shall have the right to be represented by counsel as provided in sub. (4).
(3) Power of the court to appoint counsel. Except as provided in this subsection, at any time, upon request or on its own motion, the court may appoint counsel for the juvenile or any party, unless the juvenile or the party has or wishes to retain counsel of his or her own choosing. Except as provided in sub. (2g), the court may not appoint counsel for any party other than the juvenile in a proceeding under s. 938.13.
(4) Providing counsel. If a juvenile has a right to be represented by counsel or is provided counsel at the discretion of the court under this section and counsel is not knowingly and voluntarily waived, the court shall refer the juvenile to the state public defender and counsel shall be appointed by the state public defender under s. 977.08 without a determination of indigency. In any situation under sub. (2g) in which a parent 18 years of age or over is entitled to representation by counsel; counsel is not knowingly and voluntarily waived; and it appears that the parent is unable to afford counsel in full, or the parent so indicates; the court shall refer the parent to the authority for indigency determinations specified under s. 977.07 (1). In any other situation under this section in which a person has a right to be represented by counsel or is provided counsel at the discretion of the court, competent and independent counsel shall be provided and reimbursed in any manner suitable to the court regardless of the person's ability to pay, except that the court may not order a person who files a petition under s. 813.122 or 813.125 to reimburse counsel for the juvenile who is named as the respondent in that petition.
(5) Counsel of own choosing. Notwithstanding subs. (3) and (4), any party is entitled to retain counsel of his or her own choosing at his or her own expense in any proceeding under this chapter.
History: 1995 a. 77; 1999 a. 9; 2001 a. 103; 2005 a. 344; 2009 a. 94; 2015 a. 55.
The right to be represented by counsel includes the right to effective counsel. In Interest of M.D.(S), 168 Wis. 2d 996, 485 N.W.2d 52 (1992).
Protecting Juveniles' Rights: 50 Years of In re Gault. Lee. Wis. Law. May 2017.

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