Village of Oregon

Oregon Municipal Court

383 Park Street
Oregon, Wisconsin 53575
608.835.2206
fax 608.835.6262

Office Hours:

Monday, Wednesday, Thrusday, & Friday
9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Tuesday 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

PROCESO JUDICIAL DE LA CORTE MUNICIPAL DE OREGON

PROCESO JUDICIAL DEL TRIBUNAL DE MENORES

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OREGON MUNICIPAL COURT PROCEDURE

General Rules

This Court has jurisdiction over traffic and non-traffic ordinance violations in the Town and Village of Oregon. This is a Court of Law and the rules of proper decorum and evidence will be followed. Persons who fail to conduct themselves in an orderly fashion may be cited for contempt of court. Defendants have the right to be represented by an attorney at their own expense, or proceed without legal representation. There is no right to a court-appointed attorney in Municipal Court. The judge will grant an adjournment, one time only, if additional time to consult with an attorney is requested.

You have the right to a hearing in the Oregon Municipal Court if you with to contest your citation(s). The date listed on your ticket is for your initial appearance.

YOU MUST APPEAR AT THE MUNICIPAL COURT AT THE TIME AND DATE LISTED IF YOU ARE CONTESTING THE CITATION.

Pre-trial conferences with the Prosecuting Attorney are also held at the same time as the initial appearances. If you are seeking to reduce the points on a traffic citation, you must attend a pre-trial conference.

THE JUDGE WILL NOT AMEND THE CITATION FROM THE BENCH TO REDUCE POINTS WITHOUT THE AGREEMENT OF THE PROSECUTOR.

ARRAIGNMENT

Initial Appearance

The arraignment session (initial appearance) is primarily for the purpose of making a plea to an alleged violation of the Law. The following are options of which to be aware:

1) The Court allows each defendant to have one adjournment for any reason or no reason at all. A later date will be set at this first appearance by the court clerk.

2) The defendant may have a pre-trial conference with the prosecuting attorney at this appearance. At the pretrial, discussion with the prosecutor about the specifics of the case will be held to see if an agreement can be reached to amend the citation, reduce the forfeiture or reduce the points. This is particularly important if there is something unusual about the citation or if there is concern about the points attached to the citation. A PRE-TRIAL CONFERENCE MUST BE HELD WHEN SEEKING TO REDUCE POINTS. THE JUDGE WILL NOT AMEND THE CITATION FROM THE BENCH TO REDUCE POINTS WITHOUT THE AGREEMENT OF THE PROSECUTOR. With a plea of NOT GUILTY, it is required to have a pre-trial conference with the prosecutor. If an agreement is reached at the pre-trial, the Judge must then sign the agreement. If an agreement is not reached, the court clerk will schedule a trial.

Pleas

The following is an explanation of the types of pleas:

GUILTY - You are admitting that you committed the offense as stated on the citation.

NO CONTEST- You are neither pleading guilty nor not guilty. You merely want to get the matter resolved. The effect of this plea is that you will be found guilty, but that finding of guilt cannot be used against you as an admission of fact in some other court proceeding.

NOT GUILTY - You deny committing the offense, and the matter will be scheduled for a trial. You will not explain your side of the story to the Judge at this time.

FORFEITURES

Upon the Judge’s finding of GUILTY of a violation, a forfeiture (fine plus costs) and traffic demerit points may be imposed. Forfeitures are payable immediately, however, if time to pay is needed, 60 days will be allowed to do so. If a defendant fails to pay a forfeiture and does not contact the Court to ask for an extension, without further notice, the defendant’s driver’s license will be suspended for two (2) years. The Court does not send reminder notices.

TRIALS

A defendant pleading NOT GUILTY in an OWI case may request a jury trial in Dane County Circuit Court. A fee must be paid and bond posted with the Clerk of Court within ten (10) days of the initial appearance. All other trials are heard by the Municipal Judge in Oregon with the right to appeal the decision to the Circuit Court.

Appeals

Either party (defendant or plaintiff) has the right to appeal the decision of the Court by written appeal within twenty (20) days after judgment. Appeal fee, forfeiture and costs are posted upon filing the appeal. The defendant also has the right to a jury trial on appeal, upon payment of the appropriate fee.

JUVENILE COURT PROCEDURES

Juvenile Court is held separately from Adult Court. When the case is called, the defendant, parent(s) or guardian(s), the Judge, the Court Officer, High School Principal (if relative to the case), and the Clerk of Court will be allowed in the courtroom during the hearing. The case will be kept confidential by all Court and Police personnel.

The Judge will explain the nature of the charge and request a plea from the defendant. Following are definitions of plea options:

GUILTY - A plea of guilty is an admission that all circumstances and conditions, which appear on the citation, are true and correct. Also, this is an admission of guilt to civil liability, if any, arising out of the incident. This is important in a violation where the injured party might sue in a civil court in addition to this court action.

NO CONTEST - Neither a plea of guilty nor not guilty, this option will merely get the matter resolved. The Judge will impose a penalty according to the Law. The effect of this plea is that the defendant will be found guilty, but that finding of guilt cannot be used as an admission of fact in some other court proceeding.

If a plea of guilty or no contest is entered, the Judge will then review the Officer’s report. The defendant will be given an opportunity to inform the Court about any extenuating circumstances surrounding the charge. After reviewing all testimony, the Judge will review the defendant’s past record and impose a penalty according to the Law.

NOT GUILTY - This plea means the defendant is stating s/he did not commit the violation which has been charged. The case will then be set for trial in Oregon Municipal Courts. An attorney may be hired, at the defendant’s own expense, or s/he may appear without legal representation. The defendant has the right to appeal the decision made at this trial, with payment of appropriate fees.

FAILURE TO PAY FORFEITURE

Upon the Judge’s finding of GUILTY of a violation, a forfeiture (fine plus costs) may be imposed. Forfeitures are payable immediately, however if time to pay is needed, 60 days will be allowed to do so. If a defendant fails to pay a forfeiture and does not contact the Court to ask for an extension, without further notice, the defendant’s driver’s license will be suspended for up to two (2) years. If the juvenile does not yet have a driver’s license, the suspension will be imposed when s/he applies for one.

Payment Options

By mail, send exact amount by check or money order to:

Oregon Municipal Courts
383 Park Street
Oregon, Wisconsin 53575

In person at the Court Clerk’s office, Oregon Police Department/Municipal Court Building, 383 Park Street, during office hours, Monday through Thursday, 11:00am to 4:00pm. Payments may be by cash, check, or money order.

Drop off payment in the drop box located in the front lobby at the Oregon Police Department/ Municipal Court Building, 383 Park Street, Oregon. Payments must be by check, money order or cash in the exact amount owed. Write your ticket number on the payment envelope and if you want
a receipt, your homes address. Payments will not be accepted at the Police Department.

Any payment received prior to your court date will be treated as a plea of No Contest. If you fail to pay or appear for court by the date on your ticket, the court will enter a default judgement against you and mail you a notice of such to the address listed on your ticket.

For more information contact:
Oregon Court Clerk
383 Park Street
Oregon, Wisconsin 53575
11:00am-4:00pm Monday-Thursday
(608) 835-2206