Criminal Division
A criminal case is an action brought by a government to penalize a violation of the criminal laws. In either a misdemeanor or felony case you will have an initial appearance.
Public Defender Need
To determine if you qualify for a public defender, please contact:
Public Defender
100 West Lawrence Street, Suite 250
Appleton, WI 54911
Phone: (920) 832-2774
Court-Appointed Attorney
If you do not qualify for a Public Defender, you may petition for a court-appointed attorney by completing the Petition for Appointment of an Attorney, Affidavit of Indigency (form #GF-152A) and the Order on Petition for Appointment of an Attorney, Affidavit of Indigency (form #GF-152B). The Petition must be signed in front of a notary or court official and then filed with the Court.
Expunction
Expunction does not remove a criminal case from all records. A judge can only order the expunction of the court’s record. The Wisconsin Crime Information Bureau also keeps criminal records. The case may still exist in the records of the District Attorney, other law enforcement records, the Department of Transportation and other places.
The judge has no authority to require the removal of these records. You may review documentation concerning the removal of criminal records on the Wisconsin Department of Justice website.