Receipt of jurisdictional information; intake inquiry

Wis. Stat. § 938.24 — under PROCEDURE.

Wis. Stat. § 938.24

938.24 for informational purposes only. (cg) Summons procedures. After a citation is issued, unless

May 22, 2026, are designated by NOTES. (Published 5-22-26)

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Updated 23-24 Wis. Stats.

the juvenile and his or her parent, guardian, and legal custodian voluntarily appear, the municipal court may issue a summons requiring the parent, guardian, or legal custodian of the juvenile to appear personally at any hearing involving the juvenile and, if the court so orders, to bring the juvenile before the court at a time and place stated. Section 938.273 governs the service of a summons under this paragraph, except that the expense of service or publication of a summons and of the travelling expenses and fees of a person summoned allowed in ch. 885 shall be a charge on the municipality of the court issuing the summons when approved by the court. If any person summoned under this paragraph fails without reasonable cause to appear, he or she may be proceeded against for contempt of court under s. 785.06. If a summons cannot be served or if the person served fails to obey the summons or if it appears to the court that the service will be ineffectual, a capias may be issued for the juvenile and for the parent, guardian, or legal custodian. (cm) Authorization for dispositions and sanctions. A city, village, or town may adopt an ordinance or bylaw specifying which of the dispositions under ss. 938.343 and 938.344 and sanctions under s. 938.355 (6) (d) and (6m) the municipal court of that city, village, or town is authorized to impose or to petition the court assigned to exercise jurisdiction under this chapter and ch. 48 to impose. The use by the court of those dispositions and sanctions is subject to any ordinance or bylaw adopted under this paragraph. (d) Disposition; ordinance violations generally. 1. If a municipal court finds that the juvenile violated a municipal ordinance other than an ordinance enacted under s. 118.163 or an ordinance that conforms to s. 125.07 (4) (a) or (b), 125.085 (3) (b), 125.09 (2), 961.573 (2), 961.574 (2), or 961.575 (2), the court shall enter any of the dispositional orders permitted under s. 938.343 that are authorized under par. (cm). If a juvenile fails to pay the forfeiture imposed by the municipal court, the court may not impose a jail sentence but may suspend any license issued under ch. 29 for not less than 30 days nor more than 5 years, or suspend the juvenile’s operating privilege, as defined in s. 340.01 (40), for not more than 2 years. 2. If a court suspends a license or privilege under subd. 1., the court shall immediately take possession of the applicable license if issued under ch. 29 or, if the license is issued under ch. 343, the court may take possession of, and if possession is taken, shall destroy, the license. The court shall forward to the department that issued the license the notice of suspension stating that the suspension is for failure to pay a forfeiture imposed by the court, together with any license issued under ch. 29 of which the court takes possession. If the forfeiture is paid during the period of suspension, the court shall immediately notify the department, which shall then, if the license is issued under ch. 29, return the license to the person. (e) Disposition; alcohol and drug ordinance violations. If a municipal court finds that a juvenile violated a municipal ordinance that conforms to s. 125.07 (4) (a) or (b), 125.085 (3) (b), 125.09 (2), 961.573 (2), 961.574 (2) or 961.575 (2), the court shall enter a dispositional order under s. 938.344 that is authorized under par. (cm). (f) Notice to victims. If the act the juvenile committed resulted in personal injury or damage to or loss of the property of another, the municipal court shall, to the extent possible, provide each known victim of the act with the information contained in the notice required under s. 938.346. (g) Disposition; truancy or school dropout ordinance violations. If the municipal court finds that a juvenile violated a municipal ordinance enacted under s. 118.163 (1m), it shall enter a dispositional order under s. 938.342 (1d). If a municipal court finds that a juvenile violated a municipal ordinance enacted un-

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der s. 118.163 (2), it shall enter a dispositional order under s. 938.342 (1g), and may enter a dispositional order under s. 938.342 (1m) (a), that is consistent with the municipal ordinance. If a municipal court finds that a juvenile violated a municipal ordinance enacted under s. 118.163 (2m), it shall enter a dispositional order under s. 938.342 (2) that is consistent with the municipal ordinance. (h) Sanctions; dispositional order violations generally. 1. If a juvenile who has violated a municipal ordinance, other than an ordinance enacted under s. 118.163 (1m) or (2), violates a condition of his or her dispositional order, the municipal court may impose on the juvenile any of the sanctions specified in s. 938.355 (6) (d) 2. to 5. that are authorized under par. (cm) except for monitoring by an electronic monitoring system. The municipal court may also petition the court assigned to exercise jurisdiction under this chapter and ch. 48 to impose on the juvenile the sanction specified in s. 938.355 (6) (d) 1. or home detention with monitoring by an electronic monitoring system as specified in s. 938.355 (6) (d) 3., if authorized under par. (cm). A sanction may be imposed under this subdivision only if at the time of judgment the court explained the conditions to the juvenile and informed the juvenile of the possible sanctions under s. 938.355 (6) (d) that are authorized under par. (cm) for a violation or if before the violation the juvenile has acknowledged in writing that he or she has read, or has had read to him or her, those conditions and possible sanctions and that he or she understands those conditions and possible sanctions. 2. A motion requesting the municipal court to impose or petition for a sanction may be brought by the person or agency primarily responsible for the provision of dispositional services, the municipal attorney, or the court that entered the dispositional order. If the court initiates the motion, that court may not hold a hearing on the motion. Notice of the motion shall be given to the juvenile and the juvenile’s parent, guardian, or legal custodian. 3. Before imposing any sanction, the court shall hold a hearing, at which the juvenile may present evidence. Except as provided in s. 901.05, neither common law nor statutory rules of evidence are binding at a hearing under this subdivision. 4. If the court assigned to exercise jurisdiction under this chapter and ch. 48 imposes the sanction specified in s. 938.355 (6) (d) 1. or home detention with monitoring by an electronic monitoring system as specified in s. 938.355 (6) (d) 3., on a petition described in subd. 1., that court shall order the municipality of the municipal court that filed the petition to pay to the county the cost of providing the sanction imposed under s. 938.355 (6) (d) 1. or 3. (i) Sanctions; truancy or school dropout dispositional order violations. 1. If a juvenile who has violated a municipal ordinance enacted under s. 118.163 (1m) violates a condition of his or her dispositional order, the municipal court may impose on the juvenile any of the sanctions specified in s. 938.355 (6m) (ag). A sanction may be imposed under this subdivision only if at the time of judgment the court explained the conditions to the juvenile and informed the juvenile of those possible sanctions or if before the violation the juvenile has acknowledged in writing that he or she has read, or has had read to him or her, those conditions and possible sanctions and that he or she understands those conditions and possible sanctions. 2m. If a juvenile who has violated a municipal ordinance enacted under s. 118.163 (2) violates a condition of his or her dispositional order, the municipal court may impose on the juvenile any of the sanctions specified in s. 938.355 (6m) (a) that are authorized under par. (cm) except for the sanction specified in s. 938.355 (6m) (a) 1g. The municipal court may also petition the court assigned to exercise jurisdiction under this chapter and ch. 48 to impose on the juvenile the sanction specified in s. 938.355

May 22, 2026, are designated by NOTES. (Published 5-22-26)

938.17

JUVENILE JUSTICE CODE

(6m) (a) 1g., if authorized under par. (cm). A sanction may be imposed under this subdivision only if at the time of judgment the court explained the conditions to the juvenile and informed the juvenile of the possible sanctions under s. 938.355 (6m) (a) that are authorized under par. (cm) for a violation or if before the violation the juvenile has acknowledged in writing that he or she has read, or has had read to him or her, those conditions and possible sanctions and that he or she understands those conditions and possible sanctions. 3g. A motion requesting the municipal court to impose or petition for a sanction may be brought by the person or agency primarily responsible for the provision of dispositional services, the municipal attorney, or the court that entered the dispositional order. If the court initiates the motion, that court may not hold a hearing on the motion. Notice of the motion shall be given to the juvenile and the juvenile’s parent, guardian, or legal custodian. 4. Before imposing any sanction, the court shall hold a hearing, at which the juvenile may present evidence. Except as provided in s. 901.05, neither common law nor statutory rules of evidence are binding at a hearing under this subdivision. 4m. If the court assigned to exercise jurisdiction under this chapter and ch. 48 imposes the sanction specified in s. 938.355 (6m) (a) 1g., on a petition described in subd. 2m., that court shall order the municipality of the municipal court that filed the petition to pay to the county the cost of providing the sanction imposed under s. 938.355 (6m) (a) 1g. (3) SAFETY AT SPORTING EVENTS. Notwithstanding sub. (2), courts of criminal or civil jurisdiction have exclusive jurisdiction in proceedings against juveniles under s. 167.32 or under a local ordinance strictly conforming to s. 167.32. A juvenile convicted of a violation under s. 167.32 or under a local ordinance strictly conforming to s. 167.32 shall be treated as an adult for sentencing purposes. History: 1995 a. 77, 352, 448; 1997 a. 205, 239, 258; 1999 a. 9; 2001 a. 16; 2005 a. 190, 344; 2007 a. 97; 2009 a. 103, 208; 2015 a. 170.