Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations
Chapter 968 - Commencement of criminal proceedings.
968.17 - Return of search warrant.

968.17 Return of search warrant.
(1) The return of the search warrant shall be made within 48 hours after execution to the clerk designated in the warrant. The return shall be accompanied by a written inventory of any property taken. Upon request, the clerk shall deliver a copy of the inventory to the person from whom or from whose premises the property was taken and to the applicant for the search warrant.
(2) An affidavit or complaint made in support of the issuance of the warrant and the transcript of any testimony taken shall be filed with the clerk within 5 days after the date of the execution of any search warrant.
History: 1971 c. 298.
In computing the time within which a search warrant must be returned, the court may exclude the hours between 4:30 p.m. Friday and 8 a.m. Monday. Such a delay would not affect the validity of the search. State v. Meier, 60 Wis. 2d 452, 210 N.W.2d 685 (1973).
The trial court erred in suppressing controlled substances and associated paraphernalia seized pursuant to a search warrant on the ground that a transcript of testimony upon which the warrant was based was not filed within 5 days of its execution, as required by sub. (2), because: 1) s. 968.22 provides that no evidence seized under a search warrant may be suppressed due to technical irregularities not affecting the defendant's substantial rights; 2) the 5-day filing requirement is a ministerial duty, a violation of which does not invalidate a search absent prejudice; and 3) there was no prejudice when the transcript was filed approximately 6 weeks prior to the filing of the information, before which the defendant was statutorily precluded from making any motion to suppress. State v. Elam, 68 Wis. 2d 614, 229 N.W.2d 664 (1975).
Law enforcement's failure to return an order and inventory within the confines of s. 968.15 and this section did not render the execution of the order unreasonable. The timely return of a warrant is a ministerial duty that does not affect the validity of the search absent prejudice to the defendant. State v. Sveum, 2010 WI 92, 328 Wis. 2d 369; 787 N.W.2d 317, 08-0658.
A search warrant issued for the placement and use of a global positioning system (GPS) tracking device is not a warrant issued “for the purpose of seizing designated property or kinds of property” under ss. 968.12 (1) and 968.13 and is therefore not subject to the requirements of s. 968.15 or this section. State v. Pinder, 2018 WI 106, 384 Wis. 2d 416, 919 N.W.2d 568, 17-0208.

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