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 at 10 a.m. Your citation will indicate your court date and time.

Upon arrival at court, please take a seat outside of the courtroom. A court officer will come for you when the court is ready to hear your plea. The judge will read the pertinent portions of the citation. You will be asked to enter a plea of 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 be scheduled for a pretrial conference with the city attorney at a later date. If you wish to enter a not guilty plea without appearing in court for your initial court appearance, you must file a written not guilty plea with the court prior to your initial appearance.

If you choose 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.

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 at 9 a.m. Your citation will indicate your court date and time.

Upon arrival at court, please register with the court clerk. A court officer will call your name when the court is ready to hear your plea. When your name is called, please approach the bench. The judge will read the pertinent portions of the citation. You will be asked to enter a plea of 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 be scheduled for a pretrial conference with the city attorney at a later date. If you wish to enter a not guilty plea without appearing in court for your initial appearance, you must file a written not guilty plea with the court prior to your initial appearance.

If you choose 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.