66.0111 Bond or cash deposit under municipal ordinances.

(1) If a person is arrested for the violation of a city, village or town ordinance and the action is to be in circuit court, the chief of police or police officer designated by the chief, marshal or clerk of court may accept from the person a bond, in an amount not to exceed the maximum penalty for the violation, with sufficient sureties, or a cash deposit, for appearance in the court having jurisdiction of the offense. A receipt shall be issued for the bond or cash deposit.

(2)

(a) If the person released fails to appear, personally or by an authorized attorney or agent, before the court at the time fixed for hearing the case, the bond and money deposited, or an amount that the court determines to be an adequate penalty, plus costs, including any applicable fees prescribed in ch. 814, may be declared forfeited by the court or may be ordered applied to the payment of any penalty which is imposed after an ex parte hearing, together with the costs. In either event, any surplus shall be refunded to the person who made the deposit.

(b) This subsection does not apply to violations of parking ordinances. Bond or cash deposit given for appearance to answer a charge under any parking ordinance may be forfeited in the manner determined by the governing body.

(3) This section shall not be construed as a limitation upon the general power of cities, villages and towns in all cases of alleged violations of city, village or town ordinances to authorize the acceptance of bonds or cash deposits or upon the general power to accept stipulations for forfeiture of bonds or deposits or pleas where arrest was had without warrant or where action has not been started in court.

(4) This section does not apply to ordinances enacted under ch. 349.

History: 1971 c. 278; 1977 c. 305; 1977 c. 449 s. 497; 1981 c. 317; 1987 a. 27, 399; 1993 a. 246; 1999 a. 150 s. 271; Stats. 1999 s. 66.0111.

A defendant arrested for an ordinance violation has the option to post either the required bond or the permitted cash bail. City of Madison v. Ricky Two Crow, 88 Wis. 2d 156, 276 N.W.2d 359 (Ct. App. 1979).