Wauwatosa judge presents new deposit schedule for nonmoving violations; committee approves

Municipal Court Judge Crystal Lefebvre told the Wauwatosa Government Affairs Committee on Jan. 21 that the city needs a deposit schedule for nonmoving violations and presented a draft schedule for committee approval.

Judge Lefebvre told the committee, "what is before you today is a Wauwatosa deposit schedule. Under the statutes, every city, every municipality that has a court is to have their own deposit schedule for non moving violations." She said Wauwatosa either did not have a current schedule or it was so old it could not be located, so the court recreated one after reviewing other municipalities's schedules and prior local practice.

Lefebvre said the draft sets deposit amounts for nonmoving (non-traffic) ordinance violations so people can pay a deposit to avoid appearing in court, or so a default amount exists if a defendant does not appear. The draft includes dollar ranges for some violations to allow officer discretion depending on the facts, she said.

Captain Vetter of the police department said the department worked with the judge and that the proposed schedule represents a compromise reflecting how area courts and police assess forfeitures. "We've worked quite a while back and forth on this," Vetter said, and the department is "happy with what we see here."

Committee members moved and seconded the item and approved Lefebvre's proposed deposit schedule unanimously.

The committee record shows staff and police reviewed the draft and supported it; no changes or amendments were recorded in the committee discussion. The judge said the schedule covers nonmoving violations; traffic violations remain governed by state statute.