First Offense OWI in Wisconsin Municipal Court

Being charged with an OWI, or operating a vehicle while intoxicated, can be a frightening experience. However, if it is your first time being charged with this offense, then a municipal court will likely handle your case.

Types of Cases Handled by Municipal Courts

In Wisconsin, the municipal court typically handles traffic and parking offenses, including first time OWI charges. Other common cases handled by the municipal court include:

• • Building code violations
• • Trespassing
• • Health code violations
• • Truancy
• • Animal control offenses
• • Disorderly conduct
• • Underage alcohol offenses

How First Offense OWIs are Handled in Municipal Court

Many municipal courts in Wisconsin are informal and are often not full-time courts. This means that the judge and prosecutor are typically part-time employees and court is frequently held in the evenings instead of during business hours.

If you hire an attorney to handle an OWI in municipal court, then you are not required to appear in court unless you are formally subpoenaed to the trial. Any trial that takes place would be a court trial, meaning there is no jury present and the judge would be deciding the case’s outcome alone.

Usually in municipal court, any motions will be heard during the same date that the trial is scheduled and will be decided directly before the trial begins. An appeal to circuit court where a jury can be requested is possible at the end of municipal court proceedings.

How We Can Help

Tracey Wood & Associates successfully defended many OWI cases and we’re ready to get to work for you. If you have been charged with an OWI, contact us right away to schedule a free review of your case.