Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1877-04-12
Published March 20, 1877
CHAPTER 155-

Sl1hI LEN lOO.
AN ACT limiting the term of imprisonment of
persons committed to jail for non-payment of
fines.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, repre-
sented in senate and assembly, do enact as
follows: ar 81
Section l. Whenever any person is committed
to the county jail in any county in this state for
non-payment of any fine assessed against him
or her by any justice of the peace of said county,
on a trial and conviction, had before such
justice, for a criminal offense, and such person
so imprisoned for non-payment of such fine
shall make petition oath to the Justice of the
peace by whom he or she committed or to
any other justice of the peace of the county
stating his or her inability to pay such fine, it
shall be the duty of such justice 10 whom such
petition is addressed to Immediately inform some
other justice of the peace of said county of the
fact of such petition being made, and the two
Justices shall tx up upon day for hearing said
petition and notify the petitioner of the day and
hour and place of hearing such petition, and also
notify the sheriff. ~ CE@ 81
Section 2. 1t shall be the duty of the sheriff of
the county where such person is imprisoned or
the keeper of the jail, to produce such prisoner
before such justices at the place fixed upon for
the hearing of such petition.
Section 3. At the time for hearing the petition
said justices shall attend and receive such testi-
mony as may be adduced in favor of such pris-
oner, and also such as the district attorney of
the county may offer against such application
Tor the discharge of such prisoner, and if upon
the examination they are satisfied that such per-
son is a poor person. and unable to pay the fine
assessed against him or her, they shall order his
or her discharge from prison, upon such prisoner
having been confined In such jail, as provided in
the next section of this act.
Section 4. Persons imprisoned for non-pay-
ment OF fine, may be discharged from imprison-
ment by such justice of the peace under the
provisions of this act, only upon having been
confined in such Jail as follows: H
On imprisonment for non-payment of fine Of
tve dollars, ten days.
On fine of ten dollals and above five dollars
fifteen days. - ,H tszaas ,.t5Tr 80
On imprisonment for non-payment of fine
over ten dollars and not over twenty dollars
thirty days.
On imprisonment for non-payment of fine
over twenty and not over thirty dollars, forty
days. -
On imprisonment for non-payment of anv
sum over thirty dollars, the person imprisoned
may be discharged in the manner now provided
by law. et@G A@ " =
On imprisonment for non-payment of fine
over thirty dollars and not over forty dollars,
sixty days. Her - 80,
For the non-payment of any fine exceedinq
forty dollars, seventy-five DAYS. t--@- 4-i.# :
Section 5. The fees of sheriff. witnesses ard
Justices OF the peace in the proceedings under
this chapter, shall be the same as is allowed for
services In criminal cases, excepting that each of
the justices shall be allowed two dollars for
such day spent in hearing the application.
Section +. All acts and parts of acts CONTRA
venlng the provisions of this act are hereby re-
pealed
Section z. This act shall take effect and be in
force from and afterits passage and publication.
Approved March 6, 1877. iA- COPY. .