Filing an Appeal of a Municipal Court Decision

Procedural Checklist

1. No later than 20 days from the date of the municipal court decision, the following must be done at the originating municipal court:
   

    
     1. A written notice of appeal must be filed, and
     2. All fees and costs, including Circuit Court filing fees, must be paid.

   Note: You must contact the municipal court directly for the correct form, fee, and procedural information.

2. After the notice of appeal has been filed with the municipal court, the municipal court staff will forward the appeal, along with the correct filing fee, to the Civil Division of the Clerk of Court’s office at the Waukesha County Courthouse.
3. A new civil case file will be opened, and the case will be assigned to a Circuit Court Judge in the Criminal/Traffic Division.
4. The circuit court staff will mail a Notice of Hearing to all parties in the action, or to their attorneys, if represented. The number of hearings you may be required to attend is determined by the type of appeal that was filed. Be prepared to attend more than one hearing before a judgment is made.
5. After a judgment is issued, the Circuit Court holds the file until the statute of limitations for appeal to the Court of Appeals expires, notifies the Department of Transportation of any driver’s license suspension (if necessary), and then refers the case back to the originating municipal court. The municipal court will enter the judgment and collect and return fees, if necessary.

Note: The Circuit Court cannot accept fine payments for citations issued by a municipal court.