Many people have questions or concerns about appearing in court. The Village of Pewaukee Municipal Court has jurisdiction over traffic citations and municipal ordinance violations. You may appear on your own behalf or hire an attorney. Either is acceptable. If you choose to hire an attorney, you must retain one at your own expense. You do not have the right to an attorney in municipal court.

If you pay your citation prior to your scheduled court date, you do not have to come to court. You may pay in person, by mail or online. Please see the Pay Your Citation tab for more information.

If you come to court on your scheduled date, please sign in. Cases are called in the order that you sign in. When your name is called, please step up to the podium. At this time, you will enter a plea of Guilty, Not Guilty or No Contest.

A plea of GUILTY means that you are admitting to being guilty of the charges against you. You will be allowed to make a statement before the Judge imposes the appropriate sentence and forfeiture amount.

A plea of NOT GUILTY means that you are denying the charges against you. If you are not sure how to plead, or if you have anything that you would like to explain regarding the citation, plead not guilty. You will then have the opportunity to talk with the Village Prosecutor who attends all Initial Court Appearances. In most instances, you will be able to come to a resolution with the Prosecutor. The Judge must approve all proposed agreements. If you do not come to a resolution, the case will be scheduled for trial. The court will provide a list of Trial Tips for those who are interested.

Please note: You may enter a Not Guilty plea prior to your scheduled court date. Please contact the Court Clerk for more information. You will be given a date for a Pre-Trial to come to court and discuss your case with the Village Prosecutor.

A plea of NO CONTEST means that although you are not admitting the charges against you, you also do not wish to fight the citation. You will be allowed to make a statement before the Judge imposes the appropriate sentence and forfeiture amount. There may be an advantage to a No Contest plea in cases where other civil liability is involved such as an auto accident.

If you plead Guilty or No Contest to a TRAFFIC citation, in addition to the forfeiture amount, demerit points may be assessed against your driving record. Please see the Helpful Information and Links tab for more information.

Please note that forfeitures are due immediately. However, if you have extenuating financial circumstances and need an extension to pay, the Judge may give you up to 60 days to pay in full. Payment plans may also be an option for larger amounts due to the court. Please be responsible in paying what you owe in the timeframe allowed. Failure to pay your forfeiture amount may result in a suspension of your driving privileges for one year or commitment to the Waukesha County Jail.

Municipal Court has jurisdiction of certain JUVENILES. For municipal citations, juveniles are considered to be at least 12 years of age and less than 17 years of age. Juveniles and their parents will be offered a private venue in which to discuss their municipal citation. All juvenile traffic violators will be treated like adults in open court with the procedures described above.

If you fail to appear on your court date, a default judgment will be entered against you and the Judge will impose the appropriate sentence and forfeiture amount. If you missed your court date, you may file a Motion to Reopen your case. To reopen, you need to write a letter to the Judge explaining why you missed your court date, and you also must pay a nonrefundable reopening fee of $25. There is no guarantee that your case will be reopened even if you send the letter and pay the fee. The final decision is up to the Judge. Cases more than six months past the entry of judgment will rarely be reopened. Please contact the Court Clerk for more information.

Please remember that this is a court of law. Proper decorum is expected. Please remove all hats, silence your phones and remain quiet while court is in session. The Village of Pewaukee Municipal Court is committed to ensuring that every citizen is treated with courtesy and respect. The court, in turn, expects courtesy and respect from you.

COURT/POLICE DEPARTMENT WINDOW HOURS  M-F    7:00 AM -3:00 PM