MANDATORY APPEARANCE vs APPEARANCE NOT MANDATORY

The top of your citation will tell you whether you are required to appear at court or not. If your citation is marked as a Mandatory Court Appearance, you MUST appear in Court on the date stated on your citation. 

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If your appearance is not required and you do not wish to dispute the citation, pay the ticket before the court date as stated on the ticket. See the payment tab for payment options.

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Initial Appearance

At the initial appearance, you are expected to enter a plea of Guilty, No Contest, or Not Guilty.

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When you enter a plea of Guilty, you are admitting that you committed the offense.  In most cases, a penalty will be imposed immediately.

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When you enter a plea of No Contest, you are not contesting that you committed the offense. The Court will find you guilty and impose the appropriate penalty.  However, you will not be admitting your civil liability, and a No Contest plea cannot be used against you in any other action or in any other Court.

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When you enter a plea of Not Guilty, you deny committing the offense, and the case will be scheduled for a Pre-Trial Conference with the prosecuting attorney in an attempt to settle the case. If you do not come to an agreement, a trial will be scheduled before the Hobart/Lawrence Municipal Judge without a jury. You may submit a written plea of Not Guilty any time before the scheduled initial court appearance if you are going to plead not guilty. A Not Guilty plea may be made by using this form ​or providing your name, the citation number & description, your current address, and phone number. Not Guilty Plea's may be submitted in writing either in person, by mail, or through email. It is your responsibility to notify the court of any address changes.

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O.W.I Citations

If you are cited for a violation of OWI or BAC, you may request a jury trial before the County Circuit Court.  Requests for jury trial must be made to the Hobart/Lawrence Municipal Court IN WRITING, within ten (10) days of your initial appearance, and must be accompanied with a check made payable to the Court Clerk. The check must include a jury fee of $36.00 for a 6-person jury.  It must also include the amount of the deposit listed on your citation. The case will then be transferred to the County Circuit Court, and all further communication will be from them.  If you do not properly request the jury trial within the 10-day period, you are forever barred from doing so, and your trial will be held in this Court.

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Please understand that a jury trial cannot be requested for any municipal/traffic charge except Operating While Intoxicated or Prohibited Blood Alcohol Content (OWI/BAC).

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Substitution of Judge

You have the right to request that your trial be held in another Municipal Court. Your request must be made to the Hobart/Lawrence Joint Municipal Court IN WRITING within ten (10) days of your initial appearance, or you will be forever barred from transferring the trial.

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Trial

A trial will be conducted if you have pled Not Guilty and have not been able to settle your case during the Pre-Trial Conference. The municipality has the burden of proving you guilty.  Please see the TRIAL page for more information.

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Dispositions

If you are found Guilty, whether by entering a plea of Guilty or No Contest or upon completion of a trial, the Court may impose a forfeiture.  Forfeitures should be paid immediately. Please let the Court know if you need more time to pay this forfeiture. The Court will grant additional time to pay the forfeiture in most circumstances. Failure to pay your fine by the due date will result in one or more of the following actions:

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• Suspension of your driver's license, which then carries a mandatory reinstatement fee with the DMV

• Issuance of a warrant for your arrest and commitment

• Referral of your unpaid fine to the Dept. of Revenue for collection through interception of your tax refunds, garnishments, seizure of property, bank accounts, IRA's, among other things. In addition to your forfeiture owed, the Dept. of Revenue will add a service fee to collect the debt owed.

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In traffic cases, in addition to the forfeiture imposed by the Court, the State Department of Transportation may assess demerit points against your driving record.  The Court will inform you of the points involved in your case.  The Department may suspend your operating privileges when your driving record shows that you have obtained or accumulated twelve (12) points in twelve (12) months (violation date to violation date). To check your driving license status go to WisconsinDMV.gov.

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Juveniles

The Municipal Court has jurisdiction over children 12-17 years old charged with non-traffic ordinance violations. If the defendant is 17 years old, he/she is considered an adult. Juveniles have the same right with respect to pleas. Additionally, Juveniles have the right to a private hearing.

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Rules of Decorum

This is a court of law, and the rules of proper decorum must be followed. Quiet order must be maintained. Give others the courtesy to be heard and present their cases. No food or drink is allowed. Hats must be removed. No smoking is allowed. Turn off all cell phones, pagers, and music. If you fail to conduct yourself in an orderly manner, you may be cited for contempt.

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If you do not understand your rights or the nature of the charge against you, please feel free to ask for an explanation. You should expect politeness and respect from Court personnel. We expect the same from you.