346.65(6)(c)
(c) The district attorney of the county where the motor vehicle was seized shall commence an action to forfeit the motor vehicle within 30 days after the motor vehicle is seized. The action shall name the owner of the motor vehicle and all lienholders of record as parties. The forfeiture action shall be commenced by filing a summons, complaint and affidavit of the law enforcement agency with the clerk of circuit court. Upon service of an answer, the action shall be set for hearing within 60 days after the service of the answer. If no answer is served or no issue of law or fact joined and the time for that service or joining of issues has expired, the court may render a default judgment as provided in
s. 806.02.
346.65(6)(d)
(d) At the hearing set under
par. (c), the state has the burden of proving to a reasonable certainty by the greater weight of the credible evidence that the motor vehicle is a motor vehicle owned by a person who committed a violation of
s. 346.63 (1) (a) or
(b) or
(2) (a) 1. or
2.,
940.09 (1) (a) or
(b) or
940.25 (1) (a) or
(b) and, if the seizure is under
par. (a) 1., that the person had 2 prior convictions, suspensions or revocations within a 10-year period as counted under
s. 343.307 (1) or, if the seizure is under
par. (a) 2.,
3 or more prior convictions, suspensions or revocations within a 10-year period as counted under
s. 343.307 (1). If the owner of the motor vehicle proves by a preponderance of the evidence that he or she was not convicted of a violation of
s. 346.63 (1) (a) or
(b) or
(2) (a) 1. or
2.,
940.09 (1) (a) or
(b) or
940.25 (1) (a) or
(b), or, if the seizure is under
par. (a) 1., that he or she did not have 2 prior convictions, suspensions or revocations within a 10-year period as counted under
s. 343.307 (1) or, if the seizure is under
par. (a) 2.,
3 or more prior convictions, suspensions or revocations within a 10-year period as counted under
s. 343.307 (1), the motor vehicle shall be returned to the owner upon the payment of storage costs.
346.65(6)(e)
(e) If, upon default or after a hearing, the court determines that the motor vehicle is forfeited to the state, the law enforcement agency that seized the motor vehicle shall dispose of the motor vehicle by sealed bid or auction sale following the procedure under
s. 342.40 (3) (c), except as provided in
par. (em). The law enforcement agency that seized the motor vehicle shall distribute 50% of the proceeds of the sale in the following order:
346.65(6)(e)1.
1. To pay the costs of the sale and of the seizure and storage of the motor vehicle.
346.65(6)(e)2.
2. To pay the law enforcement agency that arrested the violator for the costs of the arrest, investigation and prosecution.
346.65(6)(e)3.
3. To pay the district attorney's costs of prosecution.
346.65(6)(em)
(em) If there is a perfected security interest in the motor vehicle, the law enforcement officer shall transfer the motor vehicle to the lienholder having the primary perfected security interest for sale following the procedure under
s. 342.40 (3) (c). The lienholder shall distribute the proceeds of the sale in the following order:
346.65(6)(em)1.
1. To pay the primary lienholder for the amount of the lien, plus costs incurred in selling the vehicle.
346.65(6)(em)2.
2. To pay any other lienholder of record for the amount of the lien.
346.65(6)(em)3.
3. To pay any balance remaining to the law enforcement officer for distribution under
pars. (e),
(f) and
(g).
346.65(6)(f)
(f) If a motor vehicle forfeited and sold under this subsection is owned in whole or in part by a person other than the person who committed the violation under
par. (a), any moneys remaining from the sale, after making any payment to the lienholders under
par. (em) and as provided in
par. (e) 1. to
4., shall be paid to that person to the extent of the person's interest in the motor vehicle.
346.65(6)(g)
(g) Any balance remaining from the proceeds of the sale of the motor vehicle after the distribution under
par. (f) shall be deposited in the school fund.
346.65(6)(h)
(h) After a determination is made that a motor vehicle seized is not subject to forfeiture, the agency having custody of the motor vehicle shall take reasonable steps to notify the owner or other person in charge of the motor vehicle of the location of the motor vehicle and of his or her right to take possession of the motor vehicle.
346.65(6)(k)
(k) No person may transfer ownership of any motor vehicle that is subject to immobilization or seizure or to equipping with an ignition interlock device under this subsection or make application for a new certificate of title under
s. 342.18 for the motor vehicle unless the court determines that the transfer is in good faith and not for the purpose of or with the effect of defeating the purposes of this subsection. The department may cancel a title or refuse to issue a new certificate of title in the name of the transferee as owner to any person who violates this paragraph.
346.65(6)(m)
(m) The court may order a vehicle to be immobilized under this subsection for not more than the period that the person's operating privilege is revoked under
s. 343.30 or
343.31. The court may order a vehicle to be equipped with an ignition interlock device under this subsection for not more than 2 years more than the period that the person's operating privilege is revoked under
s. 343.30 or
343.31. If the court orders any motor vehicle immobilized or equipped with an ignition interlock device under this subsection, the owner shall be liable for the reasonable costs of the immobilization or the equipping of the ignition interlock device. If a motor vehicle that is immobilized is subject to a security agreement, the court shall release the motor vehicle to the secured party upon the filing of an affidavit by the secured party that the security agreement is in default and upon payment of the accrued cost of immobilizing the motor vehicle.
346.65(7)
(7) A person convicted under
sub. (2) (b),
(c),
(d) or
(e) or
(2j) (b) or
(c) shall be required to remain in the county jail for not less than a 48-consecutive-hour period.
346.65 History
History: 1971 c. 278;
1973 c. 218;
1977 c. 193;
1979 c. 221;
1981 c. 20;
1985 a. 80,
337;
1987 a. 3,
27,
398,
399;
1989 a. 105,
176,
271;
1991 a. 39,
251,
277,
315;
1993 a. 198,
317,
475;
1995 a. 44,
338,
359,
425.
346.65 Cross-reference
Cross-reference: For suspension or revocation of operating privileges upon convictions for OWI see s.
343.30.
346.65 Annotation
Penalty provisions of (2) (a) are mandatory and apply to violations committed prior to conviction for 1st offense within 5-year period. State v. Banks, 105 W (2d) 32, 313 NW (2d) 67 (1981).
346.65 Annotation
See note to Art. I, sec. 7, citing State v. Novak, 107 W (2d) 31, 318 NW (2d) 364 (1982).
346.65 Annotation
State has exclusive jurisdiction over second offense for drunk driving. County of Walworth v. Rohner, 108 W (2d) 713, 324 NW (2d) 682 (1982).
346.65 Annotation
Under (3), fine is mandatory but jail sentence is discretionary. State v. McKenzie, 139 W (2d) 171, 407 NW (2d) 274 (Ct. App. 1987).
346.65 Annotation
Term of probation with condition of 30-day confinement in county jail is inadequate to meet mandatory imprisonment requirement of (2) (c). State v. Meddaugh, 148 W (2d) 204, 435 NW (2d) 269 (Ct. App. 1988).
346.65 Annotation
A judgment entered in municipal court against a defendant for what is actually a second or subsequent offense is null and void. The state may proceed against the defendant criminally regardless of whether the judgment in municipal court is vacated. City of Kenosha v. Jensen, 184 W (2d) 91, 516 NW (2d) 4 (Ct. App. 1994).
346.65 Annotation
Where person is charged under 346.63 (1) as second offense, charge may not be reduced to violation as first offense and court may not sentence under 346.65 (2) (a) 1. Department must treat this as second offense for purposes of revocation under 343.31 (1) (b). 69 Atty. Gen. 47.
346.65 Annotation
Uncounseled civil forfeiture conviction may provide basis for criminal penalties for subsequent offense. Schindler v. Clerk of Circuit Court, 715 F (2d) 341 (1983).
346.65 Annotation
New Law's `Get Tough' Provisions Fall Short of the Mark. Pangman & Mutschler. Wis. Law. Feb. 1993.
346.65 Annotation
Targeting the Repeat Offender. Emerson & Maasen. Wis. Law. Feb. 1993.
346.655
346.655
Driver improvement surcharge. 346.655(1)
(1) On or after July 1, 1988, if a court imposes a fine or a forfeiture for a violation of
s. 346.63 (1) or
(5), or a local ordinance in conformity therewith, or
s. 346.63 (2) or
(6) or
940.25, or
s. 940.09 where the offense involved the use of a vehicle, it shall impose a driver improvement surcharge in an amount of $300 in addition to the fine or forfeiture, penalty assessment and jail assessment.
346.655(2)(a)(a) Except as provided in
par. (b), the clerk of court shall collect and transmit the amount under
sub. (1) to the county treasurer as provided in
s. 59.40 (2) (m). The county treasurer shall then make payment of 29.2% of the amount to the state treasurer as provided in
s. 59.25 (3) (f) 2.
346.655(2)(b)
(b) If the forfeiture is imposed by a municipal court, the court shall transmit the amount to the treasurer of the county, city, town or village, and that treasurer shall make payment of 29.2% of the amount to the state treasurer as provided in
s. 66.12 (1) (b). The treasurer of the city, town or village shall transmit the remaining 70.8% of the amount to the treasurer of the county.
346.655(3)
(3) All moneys collected from the driver improvement surcharge that are transmitted to the county treasurer under
sub. (2) (a) or
(b), except the amounts that the county treasurer is required to transmit to the state treasurer under
sub. (2) (a) or
(b), shall be retained by the county treasurer and disbursed to the county department under
s. 51.42 for services under
s. 51.42 for drivers referred through assessment.
346.655(4)
(4) Any person who fails to pay a driver improvement surcharge imposed under
sub. (1) is subject to
s. 343.30 (1z).
ACCIDENTS AND ACCIDENT REPORTS
346.66
346.66
Applicability of sections relating to accidents and accident reporting. In addition to being applicable upon highways,
ss. 346.67 to
346.70 are applicable upon all premises held out to the public for use of their motor vehicles, all premises provided by employers to employes for the use of their motor vehicles and all premises provided to tenants of rental housing in buildings of 4 or more units for the use of their motor vehicles, whether such premises are publicly or privately owned and whether or not a fee is charged for the use thereof. These sections do not apply to private parking areas at farms or single-family residences or to accidents involving only snowmobiles, all-terrain vehicles or vehicles propelled by human power or drawn by animals.
346.67
346.67
Duty upon striking person or attended or occupied vehicle. 346.67(1)(1) The operator of any vehicle involved in an accident resulting in injury to or death of any person or in damage to a vehicle which is driven or attended by any person shall immediately stop such vehicle at the scene of the accident or as close thereto as possible but shall then forthwith return to and in every event shall remain at the scene of the accident until the operator has fulfilled the following requirements:
346.67(1)(a)
(a) The operator shall give his or her name, address and the registration number of the vehicle he or she is driving to the person struck or to the operator or occupant of or person attending any vehicle collided with; and
346.67(1)(b)
(b) The operator shall, upon request and if available, exhibit his or her operator's license to the person struck or to the operator or occupant of or person attending any vehicle collided with; and
346.67(1)(c)
(c) The operator shall render to any person injured in such accident reasonable assistance, including the carrying, or the making of arrangements for the carrying, of such person to a physician, surgeon or hospital for medical or surgical treatment if it is apparent that such treatment is necessary or if such carrying is requested by the injured person.
346.67 History
History: 1991 a. 316.
346.67 Annotation
Violation of this section is felony. State ex rel. McDonald v. Douglas Cty. Cir. Ct. 100 W (2d) 569, 302 NW (2d) 462 (1981).
346.67 Annotation
Elements of duty under this section discussed. State v. Lloyd, 104 W (2d) 49, 310 NW (2d) 617 (Ct. App. 1981).
346.67 Annotation
Failure to stop and render aid to multiple victims of single accident may result in multiple charges without multiplicity defects arising. State v. Hartnek, 146 W (2d) 188, 430 NW (2d) 361 (Ct. App. 1988).
346.67 Annotation
"Person injured" in sub. (1) (c) includes a person fatally injured. A subsequent determination of instantaneous death does not absolve a person of the duty to investigate whether assistance is possible. State v. Swatek, 178 W (2d) 1, 502 NW (2d) 909 (Ct. App. 1993).
346.68
346.68
Duty upon striking unattended vehicle. The operator of any vehicle which collides with any vehicle which is unattended shall immediately stop and shall then and there either locate and notify the operator or owner of such vehicle of the name and address of the operator and owner of the vehicle striking the unattended vehicle or shall leave in a conspicuous place in the vehicle struck, a written notice giving the name and address of the operator and of the owner of the vehicle doing the striking and a statement of the circumstances thereof.
346.68 Annotation
Driver's knowledge of collision with unattended vehicle need not be proved under this section. 68 Atty. Gen. 274.
346.69
346.69
Duty upon striking property on or adjacent to highway. The operator of any vehicle involved in an accident resulting only in damage to fixtures or other property legally upon or adjacent to a highway shall take reasonable steps to locate and notify the owner or person in charge of such property of such fact and of the operator's name and address and of the registration number of the vehicle the operator is driving and shall upon request and if available exhibit his or her operator's license and shall make report of such accident when and as required in
s. 346.70.
346.69 History
History: 1991 a. 316.
346.70
346.70
Duty to report accident. 346.70(1)
(1)
Immediate notice of accident. The operator of a vehicle involved in an accident resulting in injury to or death of any person, any damage to state or other government-owned property, except a state or other government-owned vehicle, to an apparent extent of $200 or more or total damage to property owned by any one person or to a state or other government-owned vehicle to an apparent extent of $1,000 or more shall immediately by the quickest means of communication give notice of such accident to the police department, the sheriff's department or the traffic department of the county or municipality in which the accident occurred or to a state traffic patrol officer. In this subsection, "injury" means injury to a person of a physical nature resulting in death or the need of first aid or attention by a physician or surgeon, whether or not first aid or medical or surgical treatment was actually received; "total damage to property owned by one person" means the sum total cost of putting the property damaged in the condition it was before the accident, if repair thereof is practical, and if not practical, the sum total cost of replacing such property. For purposes of this subsection if any property which is damaged is held in a form of joint or multiple ownership, the property shall be considered to be owned by one person.
346.70(2)
(2) Written report of accident. Unless a report is made under
sub. (4) by a law enforcement agency, within 10 days after an accident of the type described in
sub. (1), the operator of a vehicle involved in the accident shall forward a written report of the accident to the department. The department may accept or require a report of the accident to be filed by an occupant or the owner in lieu of a report from the operator. Every accident report required to be made in writing shall be made on the appropriate form approved by the department and shall contain all of the information required therein unless not available. The report shall include information sufficient to enable the department to determine whether the requirements for deposit of security under
s. 344.14 are inapplicable by reason of the existence of insurance or other exceptions specified in
ch. 344.
346.70(3)
(3) Who to report when operator unable. Whenever the operator of a vehicle is physically incapable of giving the notice and making the report required by
subs. (1) and
(2), the owner of the vehicle involved in the accident shall give the notice and make the report required by
subs. (1) and
(2). If the owner of the vehicle is physically or mentally incapable of giving the notice and making the report required by
subs. (1) and
(2), and if there was another occupant in the vehicle at the time of the accident capable of giving the notice and making the report, the occupant shall give the notice and make the report.
346.70(3m)
(3m) Duty of department with respect to accident reports. 346.70(3m)(a)(a) The department may require any operator, occupant or owner of a vehicle involved in an accident of which report must be made as provided in
s. 346.70 to file supplemental reports whenever the original report is insufficient in the opinion of the department and may require witnesses of accidents to render reports to the department.
346.70(3m)(b)
(b) The department shall tabulate and may analyze all accident reports and shall publish annually or at more frequent intervals statistical information based thereon as to the number and circumstances of traffic accidents.
346.70(3m)(c)
(c) The department shall prepare and supply at its own expense to police departments, coroners, sheriffs and other suitable agencies or individuals, forms or an automated format for accident reports required to be made to the department. Any report forms and automated format shall call for sufficiently detailed information to disclose with reference to a traffic accident the cause, conditions then existing, and the persons and vehicles involved.
346.70(4)
(4) Police and traffic agencies to report. 346.70(4)(a)(a) Every law enforcement agency investigating or receiving a report of a traffic accident as described in
sub. (1) shall forward an original written report of the accident or a report of the accident in an automated format to the department within 10 days after the date of the accident.
346.70(4)(b)
(b) The reports shall be made on a uniform traffic accident report form or in an automated format prescribed by the secretary. The uniform traffic accident report form shall be supplied by the secretary in sufficient quantities to meet the requirements of the department and the law enforcement agency.
346.70(4)(f)
(f) Notwithstanding
s. 346.73, any person may with proper care, during office hours, and subject to such orders or regulations as the custodian thereof prescribes, examine or copy such uniform traffic accident reports, including supplemental or additional reports, statements of witnesses, photographs and diagrams, retained by local authorities, the state traffic patrol or any other investigating law enforcement agency.
346.70(4)(g)
(g) The department, upon request of local enforcement agencies, shall make available to them compilations of data obtained from such reports.
346.70(4)(h)
(h) Every law enforcement agency investigating or receiving a report of a traffic accident as described in
sub. (1) shall forward a copy of the report of the accident to the county traffic safety commission or to the person designated to maintain spot maps under
s. 83.013 (1) (a) in the county where the accident occurred when the accident occurred on a county or town road or on a street where the population of the city, village or town is less than 5,000. For traffic accidents occurring within a city or village with a population of 5,000 or more, the law enforcement agency investigating or receiving a report shall forward a copy of the report of the accident to the city or village where the accident occurred.
346.70(5)
(5) Falsifying reports. No person shall falsely make and file or transmit any accident report or knowingly make a false statement in any accident report which is filed or transmitted pursuant to this section.
346.70 Annotation
See note to 19.35 citing State ex rel. Young v. Shaw, 165 W (2d) 276, 477 NW (2d) 340 (Ct. App. 1991).
346.70 Annotation
A county sheriff's department is not a consumer reporting agency subject to the fair credit reporting act for reports under (4). However, the federal trade commission has taken an opposite position. 63 Atty. Gen. 364.
346.71
346.71
Coroners or medical examiners to report; require blood specimen. 346.71(1)
(1) Every coroner or medical examiner shall, on or before the 10th day of each month, report in writing any accident involving a motor vehicle occurring within the coroner's or medical examiner's jurisdiction resulting in the death of any person during the preceding calendar month. If the accident involved an all-terrain vehicle, the report shall be made to the department of natural resources and shall include the information specified by that department. If the accident involved any other motor vehicle, the report shall be made to the department and shall include the information specified by the department. The coroner or medical examiner of the county where the death occurs, if the accident occurred in another jurisdiction, shall, immediately upon learning of the death, report it to the coroner or medical examiner of the county where the accident occurred, as provided in
s. 979.01 (1).
346.71(2)
(2) In cases of death involving a motor vehicle in which the decedent was the operator of a motor vehicle, a pedestrian 14 years of age or older or a bicycle operator 14 years of age or older and who died within 6 hours of the time of the accident, the coroner or medical examiner of the county where the death occurred shall require that a blood specimen of at least 10 cc. be withdrawn from the body of the decedent within 12 hours after his or her death, by the coroner or medical examiner or by a physician so designated by the coroner or medical examiner or by a qualified person at the direction of the physician. All funeral directors shall obtain a release from the coroner or medical examiner of the county where the accident occurred as provided in
s. 979.01 (4) prior to proceeding with embalming any body coming under the scope of this section. The blood so drawn shall be forwarded to a laboratory approved by the department of health and family services for analysis of the alcoholic content of the blood specimen. The coroner or medical examiner causing the blood to be withdrawn shall be notified of the results of each analysis made and shall forward the results of each such analysis to the department of health and family services. If the death involved a motor vehicle, the department shall keep a record of all such examinations to be used for statistical purposes only and the department shall disseminate and make public the cumulative results of the examinations without identifying the individuals involved. If the death involved an all-terrain vehicle, the department of natural resources shall keep a record of all such examinations to be used for statistical purposes only and the department of natural resources shall disseminate and make public the cumulative results of the examinations without identifying the individuals involved.
346.71(3)
(3) In a case of death involving a motor vehicle in which the accident and the death occur in different counties, the county where the death occurs may charge the county where the accident occurs a reasonable fee for withdrawing the blood specimen from the body of the decedent as required under
sub. (2).
346.71 Annotation
Coroner's blood test records under (2) aren't confidential. Test results are presumptively accurate. Staples v. Glienke, 142 W (2d) 19, 416 NW (2d) 920 (Ct. App. 1987).
346.71 Annotation
Under 346.71 (2), Stats. 1969, blood test records of the coroner are not confidential. The admissibility of such records is limited by 979.20 (3). 59 Atty. Gen. 226.
346.72
346.72
Garages to keep record of repairs of accident damage. The person in charge of any garage or repair shop to which is brought any motor vehicle which shows evidence of having been involved in an accident shall keep a record of the date such vehicle is brought in and the nature of the repair, the name and address of the owner, and the make, year and registration number of the vehicle. Such record shall be kept in the place of business during business hours and shall be open to inspection by any traffic officer. Shop records normally kept by garages and repair shops are adequate for the purpose of this section if they contain the information specified in this section.
346.73
346.73
Accident reports not to be used in trial. Notwithstanding
s. 346.70 (4) (f), accident reports required to be filed with or transmitted to the department or a county or municipal authority shall not be used as evidence in any judicial trial, civil or criminal, arising out of an accident, except that such reports may be used as evidence in any administrative proceeding conducted by the department. The department shall furnish upon demand of any person who has or claims to have made such a report, or upon demand of any court, a certificate showing that a specified accident report has or has not been made to the department solely to prove a compliance or a failure to comply with the requirement that such a report be made to the department.
346.74
346.74
Penalty for violating sections 346.67 to 346.73. 346.74(1)(1) Any person violating
s. 346.72 may be required to forfeit not less than $20 nor more than $40 for the first offense and may be required to forfeit not less than $50 nor more than $100 for the 2nd or subsequent conviction within a year.
346.74(2)
(2) Any person violating
s. 346.70 (1),
(2) or
(3),
346.71 or
346.73 may be required to forfeit not less than $40 nor more than $200 for the first offense and may be required to forfeit not less than $100 nor more than $500 for the 2nd or subsequent conviction within a year.
346.74(4)
(4) Any person violating
s. 346.70 (5) may be required to forfeit not less than $25 nor more than $50.
