CRIVITZ – Village of Crivitz residents wishing to contest citations for ordinance and traffic violations should head to the Town of Stephenson instead of Coleman for municipal court.
Crivitz trustees agreed to switch to the Near North Municipal Court in Stephenson from the Northeast Wisconsin Joint Municipal Court, effective Oct. 1.
“We’ve been trying to do more services with the Town of Stephenson since we are surrounded by Stephenson, and this was a good time to make the move,” said Kaitlin Deschane, clerk and treasurer at the Village of Crivitz, which approved the change at its last board meeting.
“The board didn’t want to sign a two-year contract without an out clause with the Village of Coleman,” Deschane said.
Crivitz residents receiving citations for ordinance violations or speeding tickets will be directed to the Near North Municipal Court at the Town of Stephenson’s
Town Hall, W9472 County Road X, if they want a hearing. More serious matters will continue to be heard at Circuit Court in Marinette, Deschane said.
Mike Kudick, board chair of the Town of Stephenson Town Board, said he was glad to have another municipality sharing the cost of the Near North Municipal Court. “I think it’s great for all communities. It helps with the costs for all the communities involved,” he said. The other municipalities using the Near North Municipal Court are the Town of Silver Cliff, Town of Lake and Town of Wausaukee.
Fees collected by the court are remitted to the municipality where the violation occurred, he said.
Most of the citations heard in the municipal court are for ordinance violations related to housing and yards, such as noise violations, he said, though Crivitz might have more traffic violations. Judge Catherine Stichmann serves the Near North Municipal Court. Kudick said it’s an elected position.
Crivitz operated its own municipal court until the judge serving in Crivitz passed away about five years ago, Deschane said. That’s when the village joined the Northeast Wisconsin Joint Municipal Court in Coleman.
A court clerk in Coleman said she wasn’t aware of the change, but confirmed Coleman hadn’t received an agreement from the Village of Crivitz for court services. The Wisconsin Joint Municipal Court serves Coleman, Beaver and the Town of Pound and Village of Pound.
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