Wisconsin Code § 973.20

Restitution
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(1g) In this section:
(a) “Crime considered at sentencing” means any crime for
which the defendant was convicted and any read-in crime.
(b) “Read-in crime” means any crime that is uncharged or that
is dismissed as part of a plea agreement, that the defendant agrees
to be considered by the court at the time of sentencing and that
the court considers at the time of sentencing the defendant for the
crime for which the defendant was convicted.
(1r) When imposing sentence or ordering probation for any
crime, other than a crime involving conduct that constitutes domestic abuse under s. 813.12 (1) (am) or 968.075 (1) (a) , for
which the defendant was convicted, the court, in addition to any
other penalty authorized by law, shall order the defendant to
make full or partial restitution under this section to any victim of
a crime considered at sentencing or, if the victim is deceased, to
his or her estate, unless the court finds substantial reason not to
do so and states the reason on the record. When imposing sentence or ordering probation for a crime involving conduct that
constitutes domestic abuse under s. 813.12 (1) (am) or 968.075
(1) (a) for which the defendant was convicted or that was considered at sentencing, the court, in addition to any other penalty authorized by law, shall order the defendant to make full or partial
restitution under this section to any victim of a crime or, if the

victim is deceased, to his or her estate, unless the court finds that
imposing full or partial restitution will create an undue hardship
on the defendant or victim and describes the undue hardship on
the record. Restitution ordered under this section is a condition
of probation, extended supervision, or parole served by the defendant for a crime for which the defendant was convicted. After the
termination of probation, extended supervision, or parole, or if
the defendant is not placed on probation, extended supervision,
or parole, restitution ordered under this section is enforceable in
the same manner as a judgment in a civil action by the victim
named in the order to receive restitution or enforced under ch.
785.
(2) (am) If a crime considered at sentencing resulted in damage to or loss or destruction of property, the restitution order may
require that the defendant:
1. Return the property to the owner or owner’s designee; or
2. If return of the property under subd. 1. is impossible, impractical or inadequate, pay the owner or owner’s designee the
reasonable repair or replacement cost or the greater of:
a. The value of the property on the date of its damage, loss or
destruction; or
b. The value of the property on the date of sentencing, less
the value of any part of the property returned, as of the date of its
return. The value of retail merchandise shall be its retail value.
(bm) The restitution order may require the department of employee trust funds to withhold the amount determined under par.
(am) from any payment of the defendant’s annuity or lump sum
under s. 40.08 (1t) and to deliver any amount withheld from the
defendant’s annuity or lump sum in accordance with sub. (11) if
the crime considered at sentencing satisfies all of the following:
1. The crime was a violation of ss. 943.20 and 946.12.
2. The crime resulted in loss of property for the defendant’s
employer that participates in the Wisconsin Retirement System.
3. The value of the property described in subd. 2. exceeds
$2,500.
(3) If a crime considered at sentencing resulted in bodily injury, the restitution order may require that the defendant do one or
more of the following:
(a) Pay an amount equal to the cost of necessary medical and
related professional services and devices relating to physical, psychiatric and psychological care and treatment.
(b) Pay an amount equal to the cost of necessary physical and
occupational therapy and rehabilitation.
(c) Reimburse the injured person for income lost as a result of
a crime considered at sentencing.
(d) If the injured person’s sole employment at the time of the
injury was performing the duties of a homemaker, pay an amount
sufficient to ensure that the duties are continued until the person
is able to resume performance of the duties.
(4) If a crime considered at sentencing resulted in death, the
restitution order may also require that the defendant pay an
amount equal to the cost of necessary funeral and related services
under s. 895.04 (5).
(4m) If the defendant violated s. 940.225, 948.02, 948.025,
948.05, 948.051, 948.06, 948.07, 948.072, 948.08, or 948.085, or
s. 940.302 (2), if the court finds that the crime was sexually motivated, as defined in s. 980.01 (5), and sub. (3) (a) does not apply,
the restitution order may require that the defendant pay an
amount, not to exceed $10,000, equal to the cost of necessary
professional services relating to psychiatric and psychological
care and treatment. The $10,000 limit under this subsection does
not apply to the amount of any restitution ordered under sub. (3)
or (5) for the cost of necessary professional services relating to
psychiatric and psychological care and treatment.
(4o) If the defendant violated s. 940.302 (2) or 948.051, and
sub. (2) or (3) does not apply, the restitution order may require
that the defendant pay an amount equal to any of the following:
(a) The costs of necessary transportation, housing, and child
care for the victim.
(b) The greater of the following:
1. The gross income gained by the defendant due to the services of the victim.
2. The value of the victim’s services as provided under the
state minimum wage.
(c) Any expenses incurred by the victim if relocation for personal safety is determined to be necessary by the district attorney.
(d) The costs of relocating the victim to his or her city, state,
or country of origin.
(4r) If the court ordered the defendant to submit to testing under s. 968.38 (5) or (6), the restitution order shall require the defendant to pay for the cost of the testing, to be reimbursed to the
entity that paid the costs at the time the testing was performed.
(5) In any case, the restitution order may require that the defendant do one or more of the following:
(a) Pay all special damages, but not general damages, substantiated by evidence in the record, which could be recovered in a
civil action against the defendant for his or her conduct in the
commission of a crime considered at sentencing.
(b) Pay an amount equal to the income lost, and reasonable
out-of-pocket expenses incurred, by the person against whom a
crime considered at sentencing was committed resulting from the
filing of charges or cooperating in the investigation and prosecution of the crime.
(c) Reimburse any person or agency for amounts paid as rewards for information leading to the apprehension or successful
prosecution of the defendant for a crime for which the defendant
was convicted or to the apprehension or prosecution of the defendant for a read-in crime.
(d) If justice so requires, reimburse any insurer, surety or
other person who has compensated a victim for a loss otherwise
compensable under this section.
(6) Any order under sub. (5) (c) or (d) shall require that all
restitution to victims under the order be paid before restitution to
other persons.
(7) If the court orders that restitution be paid to more than one
person, the court may direct the sequence in which payments are
to be transferred under sub. (11) (a). If more than one defendant
is ordered to make payments to the same person, the court may
apportion liability between the defendants or specify joint and
several liability. If the court specifies that 2 or more defendants
are jointly and severally liable, the department or the clerk to
whom payments are made under sub. (11) (a) shall distribute any
overpayments so that each defendant, as closely as possible, pays
the same proportion of the ordered restitution.
(8) Restitution ordered under this section does not limit or
impair the right of a victim to sue and recover damages from the
defendant in a civil action. The facts that restitution was required
or paid are not admissible as evidence in a civil action and have
no legal effect on the merits of a civil action. Any restitution
made by payment or community service shall be set off against
any judgment in favor of the victim in a civil action arising out of
the facts or events which were the basis for the restitution. The
court trying the civil action shall hold a separate hearing to determine the validity and amount of any setoff asserted by the
defendant.
(9) (a) If a crime victim is paid an award under subch. I of ch.
949 for any loss arising out of a criminal act, the state is subrogated to the rights of the victim to any restitution required by the

court. The rights of the state are subordinate to the claims of victims who have suffered a loss arising out of the offenses or any
transaction which is part of the same continuous scheme of criminal activity.
(b) When restitution is ordered, the court shall inquire to see
if an award has been made under subch. I of ch. 949 and if the department of justice is subrogated to the cause of action under s.
949.15. If the restitution ordered is less than or equal to the
award under subch. I of ch. 949, the restitution shall be credited to
the appropriation account under s. 20.455 (5) (hh). If the restitution ordered is greater than the award under subch. I of ch. 949,
an amount equal to the award under subch. I of ch. 949 shall be
credited to the appropriation account under s. 20.455 (5) (hh) and
the balance shall be paid to the victim.
(9m) When restitution is ordered, the court shall inquire to
see if recompense has been made under s. 969.13 (5) (a). If recompense has been made and the restitution ordered is less than or
equal to the recompense, the restitution shall be applied to the
payment of costs and, if any restitution remains after the payment
of costs, to the payment of the judgment. If recompense has been
made and the restitution ordered is greater than the recompense,
the victim shall receive an amount equal to the amount of restitution less the amount of recompense and the balance shall be applied to the payment of costs and, if any restitution remains after
the payment of costs, to the payment of the judgment. This subsection applies without regard to whether the person who paid the
recompense is the person who is convicted of the crime.
(10) (a) The court may require that restitution be paid immediately, within a specified period or in specified installments. If
the defendant is placed on probation or sentenced to imprisonment, the end of a specified period shall not be later than the end
of any period of probation, extended supervision or parole. If the
defendant is sentenced to the intensive sanctions program, the
end of a specified period shall not be later than the end of the sentence under s. 973.032 (3) (a).
(b) The department or the clerk of court may certify an
amount owed under par. (a) to the department of revenue if any of
the following apply:
1. The court required that restitution be paid immediately
and more than 30 days have passed since the order was entered.
2. The court required that restitution be paid within a specified period and more than 30 days have passed since the expiration of that period.
3. The court required that restitution be paid in specified installments and the defendant is delinquent in making any of those
payments.
(11) (a) Except as otherwise provided in this paragraph, the
restitution order shall require the defendant to deliver the amount
of money or property due as restitution to the department for
transfer to the victim or other person to be compensated by a
restitution order under this section. If the defendant is not placed
on probation or sentenced to prison, the court may order that
restitution be paid to the clerk of court for transfer to the appropriate person. The court shall impose on the defendant a restitution surcharge under ch. 814 equal to 5 percent of the total
amount of any restitution, costs, attorney fees, court fees, fines,
and surcharges ordered under s. 973.05 (1) and imposed under ch.
814, which shall be paid to the department or the clerk of court
for administrative expenses under this section.
(b) The department shall establish a separate account for each
person in its custody or under its supervision ordered to make
restitution for the collection and disbursement of funds. A portion of each payment constitutes the surcharge for administrative
expenses under par. (a).
(c) If a defendant who is in a state prison or who is sentenced
to a state prison is ordered to pay restitution, the court order shall
require the defendant to authorize the department to collect, from
the defendant’s wages and from other moneys held in the defendant’s prisoner’s account, an amount or a percentage the department determines is reasonable for payment to victims.
(d) Each clerk of court who collects restitution under this section shall notify the department when a defendant has satisfied an
order for restitution.
(e) The department and each clerk of court that collects restitution under this section shall annually submit a report to the legislature under s. 13.172 (2) that specifies, for each fiscal year, the
total amounts of restitution ordered for the department and each
clerk of court to collect, the administrative fee the department and
each clerk of court collects under par. (a), and the amounts of
restitution collected by the department and by the clerk of court
and dispersed to victims.
(f) If an inmate in a state prison or a person sentenced to a
state prison has not paid, at the time of his or her death, restitution ordered under this section, the department shall assess, collect, and disburse the amount owed from the inmate’s wages or
other moneys.
(12) (a) If the court orders restitution in addition to the payment of fines, costs, fees, and surcharges under ss. 973.05 and
973.06 and ch. 814, it shall set the amount of fines, costs, fees,
and surcharges in conjunction with the amount of restitution and
issue a single order, signed by the judge, covering all of the payments and any amounts due under s. 304.074. If the costs for legal representation by a private attorney appointed under s. 977.08
or the fees due under s. 304.074 are not established at the time of
issuance of the order, the court may revise the order to include
those costs at a later time.
(b) Except as provided in par. (c), payments shall be applied
first to satisfy the ordered restitution in full, then to pay any fines
or surcharges under s. 973.05, then to pay costs, fees, and surcharges under ch. 814 other than attorney fees and finally to reimburse county or state costs of legal representation.
(c) If a defendant is subject to more than one order under this
section and the financial obligations under any order total $50 or
less, the department or the clerk of court, whichever is applicable
under sub. (11) (a), may pay these obligations first.
(13) (a) The court, in determining whether to order restitution and the amount thereof, shall consider all of the following:
1. The amount of loss suffered by any victim as a result of a
crime considered at sentencing.
2. The financial resources of the defendant.
3. The present and future earning ability of the defendant.
4. The needs and earning ability of the defendant’s
dependents.
5. Any other factors which the court deems appropriate.
(b) The district attorney shall attempt to obtain from the victim prior to sentencing information pertaining to the factor specified in par. (a) 1. Law enforcement agencies, the department of
corrections and any agency providing services under ch. 950 shall
extend full cooperation and assistance to the district attorney in
discharging this responsibility. The department of justice shall
provide technical assistance to district attorneys in this regard and
develop model forms and procedures for collecting and documenting this information.
(c) The court, before imposing sentence or ordering probation, shall inquire of the district attorney regarding the amount of
restitution, if any, that the victim claims. The court shall give the
defendant the opportunity to stipulate to the restitution claimed
by the victim and to present evidence and arguments on the factors specified in par. (a). If the defendant stipulates to the restitu-

tion claimed by the victim or if any restitution dispute can be
fairly heard at the sentencing proceeding, the court shall determine the amount of restitution before imposing sentence or ordering probation. In other cases, the court may do any of the
following:
1. Order restitution of amounts not in dispute as part of the
sentence or probation order imposed and direct the appropriate
agency to file a proposed restitution order with the court within
90 days thereafter, and mail or deliver copies of the proposed order to the victim, district attorney, defendant and defense counsel.
2. Adjourn the sentencing proceeding for up to 60 days pending resolution of the amount of restitution by the court, referee or
arbitrator.
3. With the consent of the defendant, refer the disputed restitution issues to an arbitrator acceptable to all parties, whose determination of the amount of restitution shall be filed with the
court within 60 days after the date of referral and incorporated
into the court’s sentence or probation order.
4. Refer the disputed restitution issues to a circuit court commissioner or other appropriate referee, who shall conduct a hearing on the matter and submit the record thereof, together with
proposed findings of fact and conclusions of law, to the court
within 60 days of the date of referral. Within 30 days after the
referee’s report is filed, the court shall determine the amount of
restitution on the basis of the record submitted by the referee and
incorporate it into the sentence or probation order imposed. The
judge may direct that hearings under this subdivision be recorded
either by audio recorder or by a court reporter. A transcript is not
required unless ordered by the judge.
(14) At any hearing under sub. (13), all of the following
apply:
(a) The burden of demonstrating by the preponderance of the
evidence the amount of loss sustained by a victim as a result of a
crime considered at sentencing is on the victim. The district attorney is not required to represent any victim unless the hearing is
held at or prior to the sentencing proceeding or the court so
orders.
(b) The burden of demonstrating, by the preponderance of the
evidence, the financial resources of the defendant, the present
and future earning ability of the defendant and the needs and
earning ability of the defendant’s dependents is on the defendant.
The defendant may assert any defense that he or she could raise in
a civil action for the loss sought to be compensated. The office of
the state public defender is not required to represent any indigent
defendant unless the hearing is held at or prior to the sentencing
proceeding, the defendant is incarcerated when the hearing is
held or the court so orders.
(c) The burden of demonstrating, by the preponderance of the
evidence, such other matters as the court deems appropriate is on
the party designated by the court, as justice requires.
(d) All parties interested in the matter shall have an opportunity to be heard, personally or through counsel, to present evidence and to cross-examine witnesses called by other parties.
The court, arbitrator or referee shall conduct the proceeding so as
to do substantial justice between the parties according to the rules
of substantive law and may waive the rules of practice, procedure,
pleading or evidence, except provisions relating to privileged
communications and personal transactions or communication
with a decedent or mentally ill person or to admissibility under s.
901.05. Discovery is not available except for good cause shown.
If the defendant is incarcerated, he or she may participate by telephone under s. 807.13 unless the court issues a writ or subpoena
compelling the defendant to appear in person.
(15) If misappropriation, from a cemetery, of an object that
indicates that a deceased was a veteran, as described in s. 45.001,
is a crime considered at sentencing, the restitution order shall require that the defendant reimburse an individual, organization, or
governmental entity for the cost of replacing the object.

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