800.09(2)(a)(a) If the defendant pleads guilty or no contest, the court shall convict the defendant of the offense charged and render judgment.
800.09(2)(b)
(b) If the person charged fails to appear personally or by an attorney at the time fixed for hearing of the case, the defendant may be deemed to have entered a plea of no contest and the money deposited, if any, or such portion thereof as the court determines to be an adequate penalty, plus costs, fees, and surcharges imposed under
ch. 814, may be declared forfeited by the court or may be ordered applied upon the payment of any penalty which may be imposed, plus costs, fees, and surcharges imposed under
ch. 814. If the court finds that the violation meets the conditions in
s. 800.093 (1), the court may summon the alleged violator into court to determine if restitution shall be ordered under
s. 800.093. Any money remaining after payment of any penalties, surcharges, costs, fees, and restitution shall be refunded to the person who made the deposit.
800.09(2)(c)
(c) This subsection shall not apply to violations of parking ordinances. Bail given for appearance to answer a charge under any such ordinance may be forfeited as determined by the municipality.
800.09 Note
Judicial Council Committee's Note, 1977: Sub. (1) governs the procedure for rendering judgment upon a finding of guilty of a defendant. A court may allow the defendant up to 60 days to pay a judgment. Failure to pay a judgment exposes a person to possible commitment to a jail or house of correction for not more than 90 days. If a defendant is indigent and unable to pay the forfeiture, the defendant cannot be imprisoned for nonpayment. The defendant must demonstrate that his or her inability to pay the fine is a result of indigency and must be afforded a hearing to determine his or her ability to pay the fine. See State ex rel. Pedersen v. Blessinger, (1972)
56 Wis. 2d 286,
201 N.W.2d 778.
800.09 Annotation
Sub. (2) provides that a municipal judge shall convict a defendant of the violation for which he or she is charged if the defendant pleads either guilty or no contest. If the defendant fails to appear at the time that the offense is to be heard by a municipal judge, the judge may deem the defendant to have entered a plea of no contest and then determine the appropriate penalty. Payment for the forfeiture and penalty assessment may be secured from any deposit made by the defendant. Any money remaining from a deposit after payment of the forfeiture, penalty assessment and costs shall then be refunded to the person making the deposit. [Bill 1240-A]
800.09 Annotation
Section 343.30 (5) does not preclude the suspension of operating privileges under s. 800.09 or 800.095. Suspension of operating privileges for failure to pay non-traffic forfeitures is not an unconstitutional exercise of the police power or an unconstitutionally excessive fine. City of Milwaukee v. Kilgore,
193 Wis. 2d 168,
532 N.W.2d 690 (1995).
800.09 Annotation
A municipal court is not authorized to subpoena persons outside of the state; thus the court cannot order an out of state defendant to appear in person. There is no inherent authority in the court authorizing such an order. City of Sun Prairie v. Davis,
226 Wis. 2d 738,
595 N.W.2d 635 (1999),
97-1651.
800.093(1)(1) The municipal court, in addition to ordering any payment authorized by law, may order a defendant to make full or partial restitution to any victim or, if the victim is deceased, to his or her estate if the court finds all of the following:
800.093(1)(a)
(a) The defendant is guilty of violating an ordinance that prohibits conduct that is the same as or similar to conduct prohibited by state statute punishable by fine or imprisonment or both.
800.093(1)(b)
(b) The violation resulted in damage to the property of or physical injury to a person other than the defendant.
800.093(2)
(2) Restitution ordered under this section is enforceable in a civil action by the victim named in the order to receive restitution. A court may not order a defendant to pay more than $4,000 in restitution under this section. This $4,000 limit does not apply to restitution ordered for violation of an ordinance that prohibits conduct that is the same as or similar to the conduct prohibited by
s. 943.24 or
943.50.
800.093(3)
(3) If the violation resulted in damage to or loss or destruction of property, the restitution order may require that the defendant do one of the following:
800.093(3)(a)
(a) Return the property to the owner or owner's designee.
800.093(3)(b)
(b) If return of the property under
par. (a) is impossible, impractical or inadequate, pay the owner or owner's designee, subject to the $4,000 limit in
sub. (2), the reasonable repair or replacement cost or the greater of the following:
800.093(3)(b)1.
1. The value of the property on the date of its damage, loss or destruction.
800.093(3)(b)2.
2. The value of the property on the date judgment is rendered, less the value of any part of the property returned, as of the date of its return. The value of retail merchandise shall be its retail value.
800.093(4)
(4) If the violation resulted in physical injury, the restitution order may require that the defendant do one or more of the following, subject to the $4,000 limit in
sub. (2):
800.093(4)(a)
(a) Pay an amount equal to the cost of necessary medical and related professional services and devices relating to physical, psychiatric or psychological care and treatment.
800.093(4)(b)
(b) Reimburse the injured person for income lost as a result of the violation.
800.093(4)(c)
(c) If the injured person's sole employment at the time of the injury was performing the duties of a homemaker, pay an amount sufficient to reimburse the person for any payments made to another to perform those duties from the date of the injury and to ensure that the duties are continued until the person is able to resume performance of the duties.
800.093(5)
(5) The restitution order may require that the defendant do one or more of the following, subject to the $4,000 limit in
sub. (2):
800.093(5)(a)
(a) Pay all special damages, but not general damages, including, but without limitation because of enumeration, the money equivalent of loss resulting from property taken, destroyed, broken or otherwise harmed and out-of-pocket losses, such as medical expenses, substantiated by evidence in the record, that could be recovered in a civil action against the defendant for his or her conduct in the commission of the violation.
800.093(5)(b)
(b) Pay an amount equal to the income lost, and reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred, by the person against whom the violation was committed as a result of the commencement of the action or of cooperating in the investigation and prosecution of the violation.
800.093(5)(c)
(c) If justice so requires, reimburse any insurer, surety or other person who has compensated a victim for a loss otherwise compensable under this section.
800.093(6)
(6) If the court orders that restitution be paid to more than one person, the court may direct the sequence in which payments are to be made. The court shall order that all restitution to victims be made before restitution to other persons. If more than one defendant is ordered to make payments to the same person, the court may apportion liability between the defendants or specify joint and several liability. If the court specifies that 2 or more defendants are jointly and severally liable, the court shall distribute any overpayments so that each defendant, as closely as possible, pays the same proportion of the ordered restitution.
800.093(7)
(7) Restitution ordered under this section does not limit or impair the right of a victim to sue and recover damages from the defendant in a civil action. The fact that restitution was required or made is not admissible as evidence in that civil action and has no legal effect on the merits of the civil action. Any restitution made by payment or community service shall be set off against any judgment in favor of the victim in a civil action arising out of the facts or events that were the basis for the restitution. The court trying that civil action shall hold a separate hearing to determine the validity and amount of any setoff asserted by the defendant.