Criminal Frequently Asked Questions

Pursuant to Wisconsin Supreme Court Rule 72, case information remains accessible for the

minimum periods for the following case types:

• Felony (CF) - 75 years after final judgment
• Misdemeanor (CM) & Criminal Traffic (CT) - 20 years after final judgment
• Traffic (TR) - 5 years after final judgment

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Case information is available at:  http://wicourts.gov You may also use public access computer terminals in Room #117 of the Safety Building to find case information, including court dates.

Criminal Division case files prior to 1998 need to be verified through the Clerk of Circuit Court office. They were converted from a different computer system, and there is a possibility of incorrect information being converted.

Copies are available Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. from the customer service window outside Room #117 Safety Building (821 West State Street). Copies cost $1.25 per page. If you need a copy of a document certified, the cost for certification is $5.00 in addition to the copy costs.

Older files are located off-site and have to be ordered, which may take 2-3 days.

If the citation requires a mandatory appearance, you MUST appear at the designated place and time.

If the citation does not require a mandatory appearance and you wish to PAY it, you may do so by one of the following methods, before the court date. YOU MUST INCLUDE THE CITATION OR A PHOTOCOPY OF THE CITATION WITH YOUR PAYMENT.

BY MAIL:

  Clerk of Circuit Court Cashier

  1st Floor - Safety Building

  821 West State Street, Room #117

  Milwaukee, WI 53233

  414.278.4599

TO PAY IN PERSON: 

  Cashier Window - Clerk of Circuit Court

  1st Floor - Safety Building

  821 West State Street, Room #117

  Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

  [cash, check, money order, credit/debit card--a 3% fee will be added to credit/debit card transactions]

TO PAY ONLINE WITH CREDIT/DEBIT CARD:

  You may pay online at www.pay-fine.com

  Please allow 24-48 hours for processing

  A 3% fee will be added to credit/debit card transactions

TO PAY BY PHONE WITH CREDIT/DEBIT CARD:

  You may call 1.866.421.0994 [toll free] 24 hours daily 

  Please allow 24-48 hours for processing

  A 3% fee will be added to credit/debit card transactions

If you wish to appear to contest your citation, report to court on the date listed on your citation.

If the citation does not require a mandatory appearance and you wish to plead NOT GUILTY, you may do so by mailing your request to Court Commissioner, Room #221--Safety Building, 821 West State Street, Milwaukee, WI 53233. The request must be received BEFORE THE COURT DATE AND MUST INCLUDE a copy of the citation, your current address, and a statement that you wish to plead NOT GUILTY. If you plead not guilty by mail, please do not appear on the court date listed on the citation. Notice of the next court date, place, and time will be mailed to you.

No, Office staff cannot change court dates. Non-appearance on a scheduled court date may result in a warrant being issued for your arrest.

If you have a felony or misdemeanor case, the judge may have issued a warrant for your arrest.

If you have a felony case, you should turn yourself in at the Sheriff's Department, Room # G-01 of the Criminal Justice Facility (949 North 9th Street).

If you have a misdemeanor case, you should report to the customer service window outside Room #117 of the Safety Building (821 West State Street) to check the status of your case. If a warrant has been issued, inform the staff that you would like to clear the warrant. You will be sent to appear before the court commissioner. Please note that misdemeanor bench warrant walk-ins are processed by the court Monday-Friday in the AFTERNOONS ONLY  and are handled on a first-come /first-served basis after the scheduled court calendar.

If you have a traffic case, the court may have issued a default judgment and sent you a copy. You are responsible for paying the fine within 60 days or your license will be suspended. Payments may be mailed to the Clerk of Circuit Court Cashier, Room #117 Safety Building, 821 West State Street, Milwaukee, WI 53233.

You must appear in person at the customer service window outside Room #117 Safety Building (821 West State Street) to fill out a Petition to Reopen. Petitions are processed by the court Monday-Friday between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. and are handled on a first-come/first-served basis after the scheduled court calendar.

You may call 278-4599 for information. You will need to pay the fine to the Clerk of Circuit Court Cashier, Room #117 Safety Building, 821 West State Street, Milwaukee, WI 53233 AND you will need to pay a $60.00 reinstatement fee to the Department of Transportation. Your license will NOT be reinstated automatically with the payment of your fine to the Clerk of Circuit Court. You must also pay the reinstatement fee to the D.O.T. Call your local D.O.T. office for information on paying the reinstatement fee.

Call the Wisconsin Department of Transportation at 608-266-2261 to determine your eligibility.

If you are eligible, please call 278-5386 to schedule an appointment. A brochure containing a petition and instructions will be mailed to you. The brochure and petition can also be picked up at the reception desk located in Room #117 of the Safety Building (821 West State Street) Monday-Friday between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.

Petitions for occupational licenses are processed on Thursdays only. There is a non-refundable $40.00 charge to petition for an occupational license.

If the case is still open, the judge will usually require the bail to remain on deposit to ensure the defendant's appearance in court. After the case is closed, any remaining bail (after it is applied to the fine, court costs, assessments, and surcharges) will be returned to the person designated on the bail form. A bail refund check is usually mailed within 20 days of sentencing/disposition of the case. If you do not receive the bail refund after three weeks of the closing of the case, you may contact our office at 278-4538.

Note that if the defendant failed to appear for a court date, the judge may order the bail forfeited and issue a bench warrant for the arrest of the defendant. If the bail is ordered forfeited, our office will mail a notice to both the defendant and the person who posted bail.

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Once the case is closed, you may call our office at 278-4538 to request your witness fee. Be ready to provide the case number, defendant's name, date(s) you were subpoenaed to appear in court, and your current address and phone number.

If you went to the State's web site and found your taxes were intercepted, you will be receiving a letter with instructions and a phone number to call.