Court

MUST I APPEAR IN COURT ON THE DATE SET?

First, look at the upper left hand corner of your citation.

If YES is indicated, you have a mandatory court appearance. Failure to appear will result in a warrant being issued for your arrest.

If NO is indicated you have three options.

1. Pay the Deposit
If you do not wish to dispute the charge, simply mail in the "deposit" amount indicated in the upper right hand corner of your citation prior to your court date. The Court will find you guilty and keep the "deposit" amount as payment for your citation. You must send a photocopy of the citation OR submit your correct address, citation number, court appearance date, and offense to:
        Sauk Prairie Municipal Court
        726 Water St. Suite A
        Sauk City, WI 53583

We accept checks or money orders made out to Sauk Prairie Municipal Court.

You can also make an online payment at the online payment page.

2. Default
If you do not post bond money and fail to appear for your initial appearance, you will be found guilty by default. If you fail to pay the bond within the time set by the Court, a warrant will be issued for your arrest or your license will be suspended.

3. Attend Initial Appearance
You may attend your initial appearance court date and enter a plea of guilty, not guilty, or no contest.

INITIAL APPEARANCE
This initial appearance is primarily for the purpose of accepting your plea for the alleged violation. The Court will inform you of the exact charge against you, state the range of possible penalties, and request that you enter a plea of not guilty, guilty, or no contest.

You have the right to request a continuance. A continuance may be granted by the Court to allow additional time for you to consult an attorney.

Guilty Plea: If you enter a plea of guilty, you are admitting that you committed the offense. If the arrest report contains the necessary elements of the offense, you will be found guilty and a penalty will be imposed. You may plead guilty by mailing your plea to the address listed below. You must include your charge, citation number and current address. Your plea must be received prior to your scheduled court date.

No Contest Plea: If you enter a plea of no contest, the Court will find you guilty. You are neither admitting nor denying the charges, but are stating that you do not wish to contest the charges. The effect is the same as entering a guilty plea except it cannot be used against you for a possible civil liability.

Not Guilty Plea: You may enter a not guilty plea at your initial appearance or in writing prior to your court date. If you enter a plea of not guilty, you deny committing the offense. The Court will adjourn your case to a later court date for trial. You will be given written notice of your trial date, and you will be required to contact the Village Attorney for a pre-trial conference as set forth in details below.

Pre-Trials: If you plead not guilty, you are required to have a Pre-Trial Conference with the Village Attorney at least 10 days before your scheduled trial date to discuss possible settlement. To do this, you must call the Village Attorney at the phone number listed below. If you fail to contact the Village Attorney at least 10 days before your scheduled trial date, you will be found guilty of default without any further notice. The judge does not participate in the pre-trial conference and the judge is not obligated to accept any negotiated or amended charge.

Sauk City Village Attorney
        Erin Brennan                608-643-5100

Prairie du Sac Village Attorney
        Lori Lubinsky                608-283-6752

WHAT IF I WANT A JURY TRIAL?

You have the right to a jury trial. You must make a written demand for a jury trial and post jury fees within ten (10) days following the date of your initial appearance. All jury trials will be held at the Sauk County Courthouse in Baraboo. Municipal Courts do not provide a public defender. You are responsible for obtaining and securing an attorney's service on your own.

You are responsible for notifying the Court of any address change.

QUESTIONS

If you have any questions regarding your citation time or date, please call the Sauk Prairie Municipal Courts at 608-643-2427 prior to your court date. Any questions other than time scheduling should be addressed to your attorney. Court and Clerk's Office are personnel prohibited by law and the order of the court from giving legal advice.