Wisconsin Supreme Court

Wisconsin Supreme Court cases in Dane County, Madison, WI

The Town of Madison Municipal Court is a municipal court with limited jurisdiction under Wisconsin law. It adjudicates noncriminal forfeiture actions for violations of the Town of Madison's ordinances occurring within its jurisdiction. Its role is to handle municipal code enforcement and traffic regulation matters and impose forfeitures and other sanctions authorized by law; it does not hear criminal misdemeanors/felonies, civil lawsuits, probate, or family cases, which are handled by the Dane County Circuit Court. Common case types include traffic and parking violations (including first-offense OWI charged by ordinance), juvenile ordinance violations (such as truancy or underage alcohol/tobacco), and other code matters like building, zoning, public nuisance, and animal-control violations. Appeals go to Dane County Circuit Court for a trial de novo.

Wisconsin Supreme Court Contact and Location Information

Services and Case Types Handled in Wisconsin Supreme Court

Town of Madison Municipal Court primarily handles municipal ordinance matters. Typical case types include traffic citations, parking violations, local code/enforcement issues (e.g., property, noise, animal, health/safety), and other non-criminal forfeiture matters; limited misdemeanor-like offenses may be addressed when authorized by ordinance/state law.

Core public services:
- Case intake/filings from citations or complaints; docketing and notifications
- Hearings: initial appearances, pretrials, trials, pleas, and sentencing
- Judgments, fines, payment processing, payment plans, and collections
- Warrants or default actions for failure to appear/pay
- Records, certificates, and dispositions for agencies and the public
- Compliance monitoring (community service, classes) and referrals when available

Protective orders are generally issued by state trial courts; municipal authority, if any, is limited and jurisdiction-specific. Jury services are typically not administered by municipal court; jury demands usually transfer to the appropriate state/county court.