Initial Appearance

Initial Appearance - Juveniles (16 Years of Age & Younger)

Initial appearances for juveniles charged with violating a City of Sun Prairie ordinance are held every Wednesday. Your citation will indicate your court date and time.

Upon arrival at court, you will be asked to fill out a plea form, indicating whether you will be pleading not guilty, no contest, or guilty. (Review an explanation of pleas for more information.) 

If you choose to enter a plea of not guilty, you will meet with a prosecuting attorney for a pretrial conference. 

If you decide to enter a plea of no contest or guilty, you will meet with the judge in closed session and he will find you guilty and impose a sentence.

Failure to appear in court for an initial appearance will result in a default judgement against you, unless you have entered a written not guilty plea, paid the deposit amount of your citation, or rescheduled your court date.

Initial Appearance - Adults (17 Years of Age & Older)

Initial appearances for adults charged with violating a City of Sun Prairie ordinance are held every Wednesday. Your citation will indicate your court date and time.

Upon arrival at court, you will be asked to fill out a plea form, indicating whether you will be pleading not guilty, no contest, or guilty. (Review an explanation of pleas for more information.) 

If you choose to enter a plea of not guilty, you will meet with the community prosecutor for a pretrial conference. 

If you decide to enter a plea of no contest or guilty, the judge will find you guilty and impose a sentence.

Failure to appear in court for an initial appearance will result in a default judgement against you, unless you have entered a written not guilty plea, paid the deposit amount of your citation, or rescheduled your court date.

Rescheduling Initial Court Appearance

If you are unable to attend your initial appearance court date, you must contact the court prior to the date and time of your scheduled appearance. If possible, the court will reschedule your initial court appearance to the next scheduled court date. The court will not permit more than one continuance of your initial court date.

Those intending to enter a not guilty plea at the initial court appearance will be scheduled for a pre-trial conference with the city attorney. To save time, please contact the court prior to the date and time of your scheduled appearance.