River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1877-04-05
Published March 30, 1877.
CHAPTER 155.


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
Section .. Whenever auy person is COM
mitted to the county Jail in any county in
this state tor non-payment OF any fine assessed
against him or her by any justice OF the peace
OF said county, on trial and conviction had
before such justice, for criminal offence, and
such person so imprisoned for non-payment
of such fine shall make petition on oath to
the justice OF the peace by whom he or she
was committed, or to any other justice of the
peace of the county, stating his or her inabil-
ity to pay such fine, it shall be the duty OF
such justice to whom such petition is ad
dressed to Immediately inform some other
Justice of the peace ofsaid county of the fact
of such petition, being made, and the two
justices shall fix 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
Section ,. II shall be the duty of the sheriff
OF the county where such person is imprison-
ed, or the keeper oil the Jail, to produce such
prisoner before said justices at the place fixed
upon tor the hearing OF such petition.
Section 8. At the time set for hearing the
petition, said justices shall attend and receive
such testimony as may be adduced in favor
OF such prisoner, and also such as the district
attorney OF the county may offer against such
application rthe discharge OF such prisoner
and il upon the examination they are salts
fed that such person 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 havlns been
confined in such jail, as is provided III the
the next section OF this act.
Section 4. Persons IMPRISONED for nom
payment Of fine, may be discharged from i'm
prisonment by such justice of the peace, un-
der he provisions of this act, only upon hav-
ing been confined in such Jail as follows:
On imprisonment for non-payment of fine
OF five dollars, ten days.
On fine OF ten dollare and above five dollars,
fifteen days.
On imprisonment for 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-paymeht of any
sum over thirty dollars, the person imprison-
ed may be discharged in the manner now
provided by law.
On imprisonment for non-paymsnt OF fine
over thirty. dollars and not over forty dollars,
sixty days.
For the nom payment Ofany fine exceeding
forty dollars, seventy-five days.
Section 8. The fees of sheriff, witnesses
and justises OF the peace in the proceedings
under this chapter, shall be the same as is
allowed for services in criminal cases, except
ing that each of the justices shall be allowed
two dollars for such day spent in hearing the
application.
Section 6. All acts and parts of acts con-
travening the provisions OF this act are here
by repealed.
Section z. This act shall take effect and be
in force from and alter its passage and publ
cation.
Approved March 6, 1877.