Mission

Mission Statement

As with the other 252 Municipal Courts in the State of Wisconsin, the City of Two Rivers Municipal Court was statutorily created and is governed by the statutes of our State. The City of Two Rivers/Mishicot Municipal Court has exclusive jurisdiction over ordinance violations that occur within the City of Two Rivers and the Village of Mishicot. This Court impartially adjudicates ordinance violations consistently and in such a manner as to safeguard the legal rights of individuals and to protect the public interests of the residents of the City of Two Rivers and the Village of Mishicot.

Summary of Objectives

In order to achieve its mission, the Two Rivers/Mishicot Municipal Court strives to achieve the following objectives:

• Enhance public safety. The Municipal court utilizes its sentencing powers to create conditions that will encourage legal behavior and make defendants less likely to become repeat offenders. The Municipal Court places a great deal of emphasis, especially on juveniles, on ensuring there is an appreciation of consequences associated with ordinance violations.
• Expeditious, fair and consistent adjudication of cases. The Municipal Court strives to:
  • a. Process cases according to an established time standard
  • b. Pay individual attention to each case and judge it on its own merit
  • c. Make clear, consistent, and understandable decisions
  • d. Maintain the integrity and respect due the institution of a Municipal Court
• Maintain accessibility of the Court to the public.
  • Centrally located in downtown Two Rivers in the City Hall
  • Hours and scheduling of initial appearances, pre-trial conferences, and trials are timely
  • Openness, predictability, and clarity of court proceedings and procedures
• Effective enforcement of court judgments.
  • Utilize an Accounts Receivable program for tracking due dates of fines
  • Setting up reasonable payment plans on an individual, case-by-case basis
  • Ability to suspend driving privileges on unpaid fines
  • Issuance of Writs of Commitments or Warrants
  • Intercept tax refunds through the Wisconsin Department of Revenue's "Tax Refund Intercept Program" (TRIP).
• Utilize special resources for young offenders.
  • Provide first-time offenders of Underage Drinking violations the "Alcohol Education and Awareness Program" (A.E.A.P.)
  • Provide first-time offenders of certain other kinds of ordinance violations the "Second Chance" program
  • Provide first-time offenders of traffic violations the Traffic Safety and Points Reduction class
  • Provide young offenders with the opportunity to do Community Service to pay off their fine.
• Accountability for public resources.
  • Use budgeted funds only for the purposes within its mission and authority
  • Maintain an accounting system for money collected and disbursed
  • Inform the Chiefs of Police, City Manager, Village Board, and the City Council of any changes or issues which may effect the operation of the Municipal Court, the bond schedule, or the City's Municipal Ordinance Code.