Opinion ID: 1230640
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Sufficiency of Criminal Complaint for Personal Jurisdiction

Text: [8] ¶ 26. Furthermore, there is Wisconsin case law which holds that a criminal complaint is sufficient to obtain personal jurisdiction over a defendant. This court has clearly stated that a complaint is the statutory procedure for acquiring personal jurisdiction over the defendant. State v. Smith, 131 Wis. 2d 220, 238, 388 N.W.2d 601 (1986). Consequently, the essential element of personal jurisdiction in a criminal action is the sufficiency of the complaint, rather than the process by which the defendant's presence in court is secured. Id. at 239. This court has recognized that while a complaint's purpose is no longer to authorize the seizure of the person of the defendant, it is the jurisdictional requirement for holding a defendant for a preliminary examination or other proceedings. Cullen, 45 Wis. 2d at 442-43. Referencing earlier case law, this court stated that  Pillsbury makes it quite clear that the jurisdictional requisite for a preliminary hearing is the complaint not the warrant. Id. at 443. [9] ¶ 27. Based on all the above, we hold that when a defendant is already in custody due to his or her incarceration, the filing of a criminal complaint is sufficient to commence a prosecution. Because we hold that the filing of a criminal complaint, without the issuance of a warrant, is sufficient to commence prosecution of a defendant who is already in custody, we do not address whether an order to produce satisfies the summons requirement under Wis. Stat. § 939.74(1). By the Court. The decision of the court of appeals is reversed.