Wisconsin Code § 938.245

Deferred prosecution
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(1) WHEN AVAILABLE.
An intake worker may enter into a written deferred prosecution
agreement with all parties as provided in this section if all of the
following apply:
(a) The intake worker has determined that neither the interests
of the juvenile nor of the public require filing of a petition for circumstances relating to s. 938.12, 938.125, 938.13, or 938.14.
(b) The facts persuade the intake worker that the jurisdiction
of the court, if sought, would exist.
(c) The juvenile, parent, guardian and legal custodian consent.
(1m) VICTIMS; RIGHT TO CONFER WITH INTAKE WORKER. If a
juvenile is alleged to be delinquent under s. 938.12 or to be in
need of protection or services under s. 938.13 (12) , an intake
worker shall, as soon as practicable but before entering into a deferred prosecution agreement under sub. (1), offer all of the victims of the juvenile’s alleged act who have so requested an opportunity to confer with the intake worker concerning the proposed
deferred prosecution agreement. The duty to offer an opportunity to confer under this subsection does not limit the obligation
of the intake worker to perform his or her responsibilities under
this section.
(2) CONTENTS OF AGREEMENT. (a) Specific conditions. A
deferred prosecution agreement may provide for any one or more
of the following:
1. ‘Counseling.’ That the juvenile and the juvenile’s parent,
guardian or legal custodian participate in individual, family or
group counseling and that the parent, guardian or legal custodian
participate in parenting skills training.
2. ‘Compliance with obligations.’ That the juvenile and a
parent, guardian, or legal custodian abide by such obligations, including supervision, curfews, and school attendance requirements, as will tend to ensure the juvenile’s rehabilitation, protection, or care.
3. ‘Alcohol and other drug abuse assessment.’ That the juvenile submit to an alcohol and other drug abuse assessment that
meets the criteria under s. 938.547 (4) and that is conducted by an
approved treatment facility for an examination of the juvenile’s
use of alcohol beverages, controlled substances, or controlled
substance analogs and any medical, personal, family, or social effects caused by its use, if the multidisciplinary screen under s.
938.24 (2) shows that the juvenile is at risk of having needs and
problems related to the use of alcohol beverages, controlled substances, or controlled substance analogs and its medical, personal, family, or social effects.
4. ‘Alcohol and other drug abuse treatment and education.’
That the juvenile participate in an alcohol and other drug abuse
outpatient treatment program or a court-approved alcohol or
other drug abuse education program, if an alcohol and other drug
abuse assessment under subd. 3. recommends outpatient treatment, intervention, or education.
5. ‘Restitution.’ a. That the juvenile participate in a restitution project if the act for which the agreement is being entered
into resulted in damage to the property of another, or in actual
physical injury to another excluding pain and suffering. Subject
to subd. 5. c., the agreement may require the juvenile to repair the
damage to property or to make reasonable restitution for the damage or injury, either in the form of cash payments or, if the victim
agrees, the performance of services for the victim, or both, if the
intake worker, after taking into consideration the well-being and
needs of the victim, considers it beneficial to the well-being and
behavior of the juvenile. The agreement shall include a determination that the juvenile alone is financially able to pay or physically able to perform the services, may allow up to the date of the
expiration of the agreement for the payment or for the completion
of the services, and may include a schedule for the performance
and completion of the services. Any recovery under this subd. 5.
a. shall be reduced by the amount recovered for the same act under subd. 5. am.
am. That the parent who has custody, as defined in s.
895.035 (1), of the juvenile make reasonable restitution for any
damage to the property of another, or for any actual physical injury to another excluding pain and suffering, resulting from the
act for which the agreement is being entered into. Except for recovery for retail theft under s. 943.51, the maximum amount of
any restitution ordered under this subd. 5. am. for damage or injury resulting from any one act of a juvenile or from the same act
committed by 2 or more juveniles in the custody of the same parent may not exceed $5,000. Any order under this subd. 5. am.
shall include a finding that the parent is financially able to pay the
amount ordered and may allow up to the date of the expiration of
the agreement for the payment. Any recovery under this subd. 5.
am. shall be reduced by the amount recovered for the same act under subd. 5. a.
b. In addition to any other employment or duties permitted
under ch. 103 or any rule or order under ch. 103, a juvenile under
14 years of age who is participating in a restitution project provided by the county or who is performing services for the victim
as restitution may, for the purpose of making restitution, be employed or perform any duties under any circumstances in which a
juvenile 14 or 15 years of age is permitted to be employed or to
perform duties under ch. 103 or any rule or order under ch. 103.
A juvenile who is participating in a restitution project provided
by the county or who is performing services for the victim as
restitution is exempt from the permit requirement under s. 103.70
(1).
c. An agreement under this subdivision may require a juvenile who is under 14 years of age to make not more than $250 in
restitution or to perform not more than 40 total hours of services
for the victim as total restitution.
6. ‘Supervised work program.’ That the juvenile participate
in a supervised work program or other community service work
in accordance with s. 938.34 (5g).
7. ‘Volunteers in probation.’ That the juvenile be placed
with a volunteers in probation program under conditions the intake worker determines are reasonable and appropriate, if the juvenile is alleged to have committed an act that would constitute a
misdemeanor if committed by an adult, if the chief judge of the

judicial administrative district has approved under s. 973.11 (2) a
volunteers in probation program established in the juvenile’s
county of residence, and if the intake worker determines that volunteer supervision under that program will likely benefit the juvenile and the community. The conditions an intake worker may
establish under this subdivision may include a request to a volunteer to be a role model for the juvenile, informal counseling, general monitoring, monitoring of the conditions established by the
intake worker, or any combination of these functions, and any
other deferred prosecution condition that the intake worker may
establish under this paragraph.
8. ‘Teen court program.’ That the juvenile be placed in a
teen court program if all of the following conditions apply:
a. The chief judge of the judicial administrative district has
approved a teen court program established in the juvenile’s
county of residence and the intake worker determines that participation in the teen court program will likely benefit the juvenile
and the community.
b. The juvenile is alleged to have committed a delinquent act
that would be a misdemeanor if committed by an adult or a civil
law or ordinance violation.
c. The juvenile admits to the intake worker, in the presence
of the juvenile’s parent, guardian, or legal custodian, that the juvenile committed the alleged delinquent act or civil law or ordinance violation.
d. The juvenile has not successfully completed participation
in a teen court program during the 2 years before the date of the
alleged delinquent act or civil law or ordinance violation.
9m. ‘Youth report center.’ That the juvenile report to a youth
report center after school, in the evening, on weekends, on other
nonschool days, or at any other time that the juvenile is not under
immediate adult supervision, for participation in the social, behavioral, academic, community service, and other programming
of the center. Section 938.34 (5g) applies to any community service work performed by a juvenile under this subdivision.
(b) No out-of-home placement; term of agreement. A deferred prosecution agreement may not include any form of out-ofhome placement and may not exceed one year.
(c) Alcohol or other drug abuse treatment; informed consent.
If the deferred prosecution agreement provides for alcohol and
other drug abuse outpatient treatment under par. (a) 4., the juvenile and the juvenile’s parent, guardian or legal custodian shall
execute an informed consent form that indicates that they are voluntarily and knowingly entering into a deferred prosecution
agreement for the provision of alcohol and other drug abuse outpatient treatment.
(2g) GRAFFITI VIOLATION. If the deferred prosecution agreement is based on an allegation that the juvenile violated s.
943.017 and the juvenile has attained 10 years of age, the agreement may require that the juvenile participate for not less than 10
hours nor more than 100 hours in a supervised work program under s. 938.34 (5g) or perform not less than 10 hours nor more than
100 hours of other community service work, except that if the juvenile has not attained 14 years of age the maximum number of
hours is 40.
(2v) HABITUAL TRUANCY VIOLATION. If the deferred prosecution agreement is based on an allegation that the juvenile has
violated a municipal ordinance enacted under s. 118.163 (2), the
agreement may require that the juvenile’s parent, guardian, or legal custodian attend school with the juvenile.
(3) OBLIGATIONS IN WRITING. The obligations imposed under a deferred prosecution agreement and its effective date shall
be set forth in writing. The written agreement shall state whether
the juvenile has been adopted. The intake worker shall provide a
copy of the agreement and order to the juvenile, to the juvenile’s
parent, guardian, and legal custodian, and to any agency providing services under the agreement.
(4) RIGHT TO TERMINATE OR OBJECT TO AGREEMENT. The
intake worker shall inform the juvenile and the juvenile’s parent,
guardian, and legal custodian in writing of their right to terminate
the deferred prosecution agreement at any time or to object at any
time to the fact or terms of the agreement. If there is an objection, the intake worker may alter the terms of the agreement or request the district attorney or corporation counsel to file a petition.
If the agreement is terminated the intake worker may request the
district attorney or corporation counsel to file a petition.
(5) TERMINATION UPON REQUEST. A deferred prosecution
agreement may be terminated upon the request of the juvenile,
parent, guardian, or legal custodian.
(6) TERMINATION IF DELINQUENCY PETITION FILED. A deferred prosecution agreement arising out of an alleged delinquent
act is terminated if the district attorney files a delinquency petition within 20 days after receipt of notice of the deferred prosecution agreement under s. 938.24 (5). If a petition is filed, statements made to the intake worker during the intake inquiry are
inadmissible.
(7) CANCELLATION BY INTAKE WORKER. (a) If at any time
during the period of a deferred prosecution agreement the intake
worker determines that the obligations imposed under it are not
being met, the intake worker may cancel the agreement. Within
10 days after the agreement is cancelled, the intake worker shall
notify the district attorney, corporation counsel, or other official
under s. 938.09 of the cancellation and may request that a petition
be filed. In delinquency cases, the district attorney may initiate a
petition within 20 days after the date of the notice regardless of
whether the intake worker has requested that a petition be filed.
The court shall grant appropriate relief as provided in s. 938.315
(3) with respect to any petition that is not filed within the time period specified in this paragraph. Failure to object to the fact that
a petition is not filed within the time period specified in this paragraph waives any challenge to the court’s competency to act on
the petition.
(b) In addition to the action taken under par. (a), if the intake
worker cancels a deferred prosecution agreement based on a determination that the juvenile’s parent, guardian, or legal custodian
is not meeting the obligations imposed under the agreement, the
intake worker shall request the district attorney, corporation
counsel, or other official under s. 938.09 to file a petition requesting the court to order the juvenile’s parent, guardian, or legal custodian to show good cause for not meeting the obligations. If a
petition under this paragraph is filed and if the court finds prosecutive merit for the petition, the court shall grant an order directing
the parent, guardian, or legal custodian to show good cause, at a
time and place fixed by the court, for not meeting the obligations.
If the parent, guardian or legal custodian does not show good
cause, the court may impose a forfeiture not to exceed $1,000.
(8) WHEN OBLIGATIONS MET. If the obligations imposed under the deferred prosecution agreement are met, the intake worker
shall so inform the juvenile and a parent, guardian, and legal custodian in writing. No petition may be filed or citation issued on
the charges that brought about the agreement and the charges may
not be the sole basis for a petition under s. 48.13, 48.133, 48.14,
938.13, or 938.14.
(9) WRITTEN POLICIES. The intake worker shall perform his
or her responsibilities under this section under general written
policies promulgated under s. 938.06 (1) or (2).

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