Attending First OWI Court Date in Wisconsin

Question: Am I required to attend my first OWI court date in Wisconsin?

Answer: That is going to depend on whether your OWI is a first offense—which is civil in Wisconsin—whether it is a misdemeanor or a felony. It also may depend on the specific court that your case is in and the rules of that court. Very often you do not need to attend the first court date, and if you’ve hired an attorney it is very rare to have to be at the first court appearance. However, every court can set its own rules, and those have to be followed strictly.