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Marquette County amends curfew ordinance definition to match state law
Summary
The county board approved Resolution 20 to amend chapter 50 so a "minor" is a person under age 17, aligning the county curfew ordinance with Wisconsin statute after counsel said some curfew citations to 17‑year‑olds were dismissed.
Marquette County on Monday moved to clarify its public peace and order code by defining a "minor" for curfew purposes as anyone who has not attained the age of 17.
The change, presented as Resolution 20, was explained in discussion by county counsel (Sean). Counsel said the amendment is intended to make the county ordinance consistent with Wisconsin law governing curfew enforcement: "in terms of curfew under Wisconsin statute, it's gonna be 17," he said, noting that citations to some 17‑year‑olds had been dismissed after defense counsel raised the statutory definition.
A board member questioned whether making 17 the cutoff would create mismatches with other legal definitions that use 18 as the age of majority; counsel and the administrator said different statutes use different ages and that the amendment specifically aligns the county curfew provision with the state curfew standard.
The resolution was moved and seconded and approved by the board. No public speakers addressed the change during the meeting.
What’s next: The ordinance amendment will be incorporated into chapter 50 of the county code; county attorneys and law‑enforcement partners will enforce the updated language that mirrors the state curfew provision.
