Shoplifting and Petty Theft in Wisconsin

Shoplifting is called retail theft in Wisconsin: intentionally taking, concealing, keeping, transferring or altering the price of a store's merchandise without consent and intending to deprive the merchant of it or its full price (including removing security tags or using shielded bags or tag removers). Merchandise worth $500 or less is a Class A misdemeanor (up to 9 months and/or $10,000). Over $500 up to $5,000 is a Class I felony; over $5,000 up to $10,000 a Class H felony; over $10,000 a Class G felony. A person charged with misdemeanor retail theft who has one or more prior retail theft or theft convictions may be charged with a Class I felony, and $500-or-less retail theft done with others to resell online is a Class I felony. Under the civil statute, the merchant may recover the retail value (unless returned undamaged) and actual damages, plus exemplary damages up to 3 times that amount and attorney fees, but exemplary damages plus attorney fees may not exceed $500 per violation ($300 against a minor or the minor's parent).

Wisconsin's rule on court-appointed lawyers: The Wisconsin State Public Defender determines whether a person is indigent and verifies income, assets, public assistance and expenses; applicants sign statements that the information is true and that they have not disposed of assets to qualify (knowingly false statements are a Class I felony). Under the statutory standard, assets are counted only if they exceed $2,500 in combined equity value (excluding up to $10,000 of equity in vehicles and the first $30,000 of homestead equity), and income is counted only if gross income exceeds 115 percent of the federal poverty guideline; a spouse's income and assets count unless the spouse is the alleged victim. A circuit court may review any indigency determination. The office collects payment for representation from persons able to pay, based on ability to pay and a board fee schedule. Wis. Stat. §§ 977.02(3), 977.06

Lawyers set their own fees, and Wisconsin has rules on how they may charge. See hiring a criminal defense lawyer in Wisconsin for fee rules, how to check a lawyer's license and free help.

How release before trial works in Wisconsin: A defendant arrested for a criminal offense is eligible for release under reasonable conditions designed to assure appearance in court, protect members of the community from serious harm, or prevent the intimidation of witnesses (subject to exceptions in ss. 969.035 and 971.14(1r)). Bail may be imposed at or after the initial appearance only if the court finds that bail is necessary to assure the defendant's appearance in court, or, for a defendant accused of a violent crime, that bail is necessary based on the totality of the circumstances (considering prior violent-crime convictions, likelihood of not appearing, the need to protect the community from serious harm and prevent witness intimidation, and potential affirmative defenses). When bail is set to assure appearance, it shall be only in the amount found necessary to assure appearance; when set for a violent crime, it may not be excessive. The court considers the ability of the arrested person to give bail, the nature, number and gravity of the offenses and potential penalty, whether the alleged acts were violent in nature, prior record, character, health, residence and reputation, the strength of the evidence, supervision status, pending release conditions, prior bail forfeitures, and the policy against unnecessary detention pending trial. Wis. Stat. § 969.01(1), (4) What happens after an arrest.

Each state sets its own rules for sealing or expunging records. See Wisconsin expungement and record sealing rules.