City of Lake Mills, Wisconsin
Definitions & FAQ'sDEFINITION OF PLEAS:Guilty: This is an admission of guilt to the charge(s) against you. You will be able to explain any circumstances that you wish the Court to consider when imposing the sentence. No Contest: This is similar to a guilty plea, and you will be found guilty. However, a no contest plea cannot be used against you in any other court proceedings as an admission of guilt to prove your civil liability (e.g., if personal injury or property damage is involved). Not Guilty: This plea means that you wish to contest or deny the charge(s), and a pre-trial conference with the prosecutor will be scheduled. OPERATING WHILE INTOXICATED CASES:If you have been charged with Operating While Under the Influence, Operating with Prohibited Alcohol Concentration or Operating with a Controlled Substance, you may request a jury trial in Jefferson County Circuit Court. You must give the municipal court notice of this request for jury trial within ten (10) days of your initial appearance or entry of not guilty plea. The 10-day period commences after entry of a not guilty plea in court or after a written not guilty plea is received by the municipal court, even if received prior to the initial appearance. The request must be made in writing and be accompanied by the required jury fee of $36.00. The fee will be forwarded by the municipal court to the Jefferson County Circuit Court along with the Jury Demand Transmittal. Any companion citation to the OWI/PAC/OCS may also be transferred as part of the jury request. However, each citation requires its own $36.00 jury fee. Upon conviction of OWI/PAC/OCA, the Court must order your operating privilege to be revoked for a period of time and may require operating privileges be restricted to vehicles equipped with an Ignition Interlock Device (IID) if you: a) Refuse to take a test; or b) Are convicted of OWI/PAC/OCS and had either; i. An alcohol concentration of .15% or greater ii. Prior OWI conviction in lifetime Court must impose a $50.00 IID surcharge, which will be assessed to the forfeiture. DOT Information on IID Installation Information on Occupational Licenses Defendant’s Rights:You have certain rights as a defendant which you may exercise:
FAQ’s
How much time do I have to pay my forfeiture?You have 60 days to pay. You may request a payment plan under certain circumstances. Click HERE to view and print payment plan application. Click HERE to submit form directly on website. May I reschedule my court date?You may request to reschedule your court date once, provided you contact the court prior to your initial appearance date. Click HERE to view and print request to reschedule form. Click HERE to submit form directly on website. May I pay my forfeiture online with a credit/debit card?You may make payments online by clicking <here>. How will demerit points from a conviction affect my record?Demerit points from a conviction of a traffic violation will remain on your record for one year. Twelve (12) or more demerit points in one year will result in suspension of your license. I did not pay my forfeiture and now my license is suspended. How do I reinstate?First you must pay your forfeiture to the court. The court will then notify the DOT and you will be able to reinstate your license after paying a reinstatement fee. DOT information on driving statuses. May I reopen my case If I missed my court date?You can request the Judge to reopen your case, explaining why you missed your court date and why you want it reopened. You can make your request in writing by mail, fax, or email. If the reopening request is more than six months past the entry of a judgement, a hearing may be held before the Judge with the City/Town Attorney present unless the City/Town Attorney agrees to the request. Click HERE to view and print the request to reopen form. Do I have to appear at the court date on my citation?Mandatory Appearances. The citation indicates whether you are required to appear. If you are required to and do not appear, you are at risk of a warrant being issued for your arrest. To avoid that if you are unable to appear, call the court office at least 5 days prior to your court date to request a different date. Non-mandatory Appearances. If you are not required to appear, you have several choices.
Note: If you do not appear on the court date set, the court will enter a plea of no contest on your behalf, find you guilty by default, and impose a forfeiture. A notice will be mailed to you, and you will be given a due date to pay the forfeiture (approximately 60 days). If you do not pay on or before the due date and do not appear in court on the due date to request more time, the court will issue an order to suspend your driving privileges for moving violations and may issue a warrant for non-moving violations. Forfeiture:If a forfeiture is imposed as a part of the sentence, you will have 60 days to pay. You may request a payment plan and/or community service under certain circumstances. You must contact the court office prior to your due date to make those arrangements. PENALTIES FOR NON-PAYMENT OF FOREFITURES:If you need, you may ask the Court for up to sixty (60) days to pay. Failure to pay in full or contact the Court Office by your due date may result in the Court taking one or more of the following actions:
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