Speeding violations are the most common traffic offense our firm handles. Wisconsin’s basic speeding law (Wis. Stat. § 346.57) prohibits driving faster than is reasonable and prudent under the conditions, even when you’re under the posted limit. Add a work-zone multiplier, a school-zone enhancer, or a 20-over allegation and the stakes climb quickly.
The three real costs of every speeding conviction
Every speeding ticket carries three separate costs: demerit points against your Wisconsin driving record, a fine and court surcharge, and possible insurance-premium impact.
The insurance hit often becomes the real expense of a ticket, and it can continue long after the citation is paid and forgotten. The amount depends on the carrier, policy, driving history, violation type, and final disposition.
When the stakes climb further
The consequences compound for drivers who already carry points, hold a commercial driver’s license, or are within the first two years of licensure. A 20-over citation adds six demerit points under Wis. Admin. Code Trans 101; two such tickets in a twelve-month window can trigger a WisDOT point suspension.
For CDL holders, speeding 15 or more mph over is a serious traffic violation under Table 2 to 49 CFR § 383.51. Two in a rolling three-year window trigger a 60-day CDL disqualification, which typically means a lost job, not just a traffic ticket. A ticket written in your personal vehicle can count, but under the table’s non-CMV columns it does so only where the conviction results in the revocation, cancellation, or suspension of your license or non-CMV driving privileges.
How we investigate and defend your case
We review the citation, the officer’s radar or LIDAR calibration and training records, any dashcam or body-camera footage, and every discrepancy between the ticket and the underlying probable cause. A moving-radar reading is not self-proving: under the Hanson/Kramer test the prosecution earns a prima facie presumption of accuracy only by establishing five things, including that road conditions carried a minimum possibility of distortion, that the patrol car’s own input speed was verified, and that the unit was tested after the arrest by means not relying on its internal calibrations.
When any of those elements are missing from the discovery file, the State’s case is vulnerable to suppression or outright dismissal. In most Racine, Kenosha, and Walworth County cases we appear in court so you don’t have to. Our goal on every speeding case is the same: reduce points, reduce the fine, and keep the conviction off your insurance record whenever the facts allow.
Should you hire a lawyer for a speeding ticket?
If the ticket has points, a 15 mph over allegation, a work-zone issue, a CDL concern, or a real insurance risk, talk to us before you pay it. The goal is not just a smaller fine. The goal is preventing the conviction that follows you.
- The ticket is 11 mph over or more, which usually means 4 or 6 points.
- You were cited by State Patrol, a sheriff, or in a work or school zone.
- You hold a CDL or your job checks your driving record.
What a speeding conviction costs in Wisconsin
- Demerit points
- 3 · 4 · 6 1-10 over · 11-19 over · 20+ over (Wis. Admin. Code Trans 101)
- Forfeiture
- $30 - $300 Wis. Stat. § 346.60(2)(a); doubled in work and school zones under § 346.60(3m); court costs and surcharges added on top
- Insurance increase
- Carrier-specific Moving convictions can affect renewal pricing; impact varies by policy and record
- License suspension
- 12 points in 12 months Can trigger a 2-12 month WisDOT point suspension
- CDL impact
- Serious violation at 15+ over Two in 3 years = 60-day disqualification (49 CFR § 383.51(c))
- Record lookback
- 4 years Wis. Stat. § 343.23(2)(b) limits the point-suspension lookback to the preceding 4 years; OWI-countable records are kept permanently
Our speeding defense playbook
Radar & LIDAR calibration challenge
We subpoena the calibration log for the specific unit used on your stop, along with the officer’s training certification on that model. Under the Hanson/Kramer test (State v. Hanson, 85 Wis. 2d 233, 245, 270 N.W.2d 212 (1978), approved and explained in State v. Kramer, 99 Wis. 2d 700, 703, 299 N.W.2d 882 (1981)), moving radar earns a prima facie presumption of accuracy only when the prosecution establishes operator training and experience, proper working condition proved by the suggested testing methods, road conditions with a minimum possibility of distortion, verification of the patrol car's input speed, and expert testing after the arrest by means not relying on the device's own internal calibrations. Gaps in any of those are what put the speed reading in play.
Probable-cause and stop-basis review
Wisconsin officers must have articulable probable cause for the stop itself. We pull the dashcam, body-cam, and CAD dispatch records and compare the officer’s written basis against what the video actually shows. Pacing errors, sight-line obstructions, and misidentified vehicles are all recurring weak points.
Negotiated reduction to a non-moving violation
Racine, Kenosha, and Walworth County prosecutors routinely amend speeding citations to zero-point ordinance violations (defective equipment, non-registration) when the underlying facts support it. A non-moving reduction preserves your insurance record entirely, zero points, no MVR entry a carrier will rate on.
Unwinding a 100-MPH or reckless-driving pairing
Speed 25+ mph over is frequently charged alongside reckless driving (Wis. Stat. § 346.62). A first reckless offense is a civil forfeiture of $50 to $400, but a 2nd or subsequent violation is criminal under § 346.65(1)(b). We negotiate the reckless charge down to imprudent speed or inattentive driving to keep the matter civil and off your criminal record, often the most consequential piece of a high-speed case.
Signal-timing, signage, and survey-speed defenses
Where a limit was set by local authorities rather than by statute, Wis. Stat. § 349.11(1)(a) lets them declare it only on the basis of an engineering and traffic investigation, and it takes effect only once signs giving notice have been erected and are in place. For out-of-town stops on less-traveled roads we check that record, and we challenge stops where construction signage was inconsistent or the zone transition was not properly marked.
Racine, Kenosha & Walworth county courts
Your speeding case is heard in one of three forums depending on who wrote the ticket: a municipal court (for city or village police citations), a county circuit court (for sheriff and Wisconsin State Patrol citations), or (when criminally charged alongside the speeding) the county circuit court.
Our attorneys appear regularly in Racine County Circuit Court (730 Wisconsin Ave., Racine), Kenosha County Courthouse (912 56th Street, Kenosha), Walworth County Judicial Center (1800 County Road NN, Elkhorn), and the municipal courts of Racine, Mt. Pleasant, Caledonia, Sturtevant, Kenosha, Pleasant Prairie, Lake Geneva, Delavan, Burlington, Union Grove, and surrounding jurisdictions. In the overwhelming majority of speeding cases you do not have to appear. We enter a not-guilty plea on your behalf at the first appearance, set the matter for trial, and handle every subsequent court date.
Traffic-ticket outcomes depend on what we can protect
For speeding cases, the defense target is usually one of four things: points, insurance premiums, license status, or a criminal/CDL consequence hidden behind the citation.
See the traffic-ticket case-results hub for anonymized examples and related service links. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome on any individual case.
The municipal-court judges who hear most speeding cases
Most ordinance-level traffic citations are heard at the municipal-court level, not circuit court. Below are the currently sitting municipal court judges across our 3-county service area, verified against each municipality's own court page or the county's official roster. The list omits 3 municipalities (Caledonia, Whitewater, Sturtevant) where we are still re-verifying the current judge by phone before publishing.
Racine County municipal courts
- City of Racine Hon. Rob Weber City of Racine notice identifies Judge Rob Weber as the sole, uncontested municipal-judge candidate on the April 7, 2026 ballot. The City court page does not separately name the sitting judge. verify source →
- Village of Mount Pleasant Hon. Michael R. Phegley verify source →
- City of Burlington Hon. Kelly Iselin City Directory lists Kelly Iselin as Municipal Judge; confirmed again in the City of Burlington Spring 2026 newsletter. verify source →
- Village of Caledonia Hon. Robert Keller Village of Caledonia court page lists Robert Keller as Municipal Court Judge. verify source →
- Village of Sturtevant Hon. Robert Niemiec Village of Sturtevant court page lists Robert Niemiec as Judge. verify source →
- Village of Union Grove Hon. Scott Kasprowicz Term 2025-2027 (special election after Judge Reichert retired Dec 2024). verify source →
- Village of Waterford Hon. Robert J. Jones Village court; the Town of Waterford has a separate court with a different judge. verify source →
Kenosha County municipal courts
- City of Kenosha Hon. Michael Easton City Municipal Court records form lists Judge Michael Easton and the court contact information. The form is undated, so this entry rests on thinner support than the rest of the roster. verify source →
- Village of Pleasant Prairie Hon. Richard Alan Ginkowski Village court page lists Richard Alan Ginkowski as Municipal Judge. verify source →
- Village of Twin Lakes Hon. Bruce Goodnough Shared court covering Village of Twin Lakes + Town of Randall Village court page: "Judge Bruce Goodnough was first elected as Municipal Judge in 1989." verify source →
- Village of Salem Lakes Hon. Patrick Dunn verify source →
- Village and Town of Somers Hon. Edward Antaramian Consolidated court serving both the Village and the Town of Somers. Somers states that Judge Antaramian was appointed interim municipal judge in March 2026 over the consolidated Municipal Courts of the Village and Town of Somers, and will serve until April 2027. Published as interim rather than elected because that is what the Village says. verify source →
Walworth County municipal courts
- City of Lake Geneva Hon. Henry A. Sibbing City of Lake Geneva court page lists Henry A. Sibbing as Municipal Judge. verify source →
- City of Elkhorn Hon. Lori Domino City of Elkhorn court page lists Municipal Judge Lori Domino. verify source →
- City of Delavan Hon. Mike Rhyner City court. The Town of Delavan runs a separate municipal court with its own judge; confirm which court is named on your citation. verify source →
- Village of Fontana Hon. Thomas Sullivan verify source →
- Village of East Troy Hon. Michael P. Cotter Confirmed on the village court page and on the Walworth County municipal-judges roster. The Town of East Troy runs a separate municipal court. verify source →
Who hears speeding cases in our service area
Speeding cases prosecuted at the criminal level (not municipal-court ordinance) are heard at the county circuit court level. Below are the currently sitting circuit court judges and elected District Attorneys for each of the three counties we serve. Source metadata now feeds a monthly re-check so the roster on this page stays accurate without adding duplicate date stamps.
Racine County
District Attorney: Tricia Hanson DA source →
Sitting circuit court judges (9):
- Hon. Wynne P. Laufenberg · Branch 1 · Chief Judge
- Hon. Eugene A. Gasiorkiewicz · Branch 2
- Hon. Jessica E.H. Lynott · Branch 3
- Hon. Scott P. Craig · Branch 4
- Hon. David W. Paulson · Branch 6
- Hon. Jamie M. McClendon · Branch 7
- Hon. Faye M. Flancher · Branch 8
- Hon. Robert S. Repischak · Branch 9
- Hon. Timothy D. Boyle · Branch 10
Kenosha County
District Attorney: Xavier Solis DA source →
Sitting circuit court judges (8):
- Hon. Gerad T. Dougvillo · Branch 1
- Hon. Jason A. Rossell · Branch 2
- Hon. Heather Iverson · Branch 3
- Hon. David O. Hughes · Branch 4
- Hon. David P. Wilk · Branch 5
- Hon. Angelina Gabriele · Branch 6
- Hon. Jodi L. Meier · Branch 7
- Hon. Chad G. Kerkman · Branch 8
Walworth County
District Attorney: Zeke Wiedenfeld DA source →
Sitting circuit court judges (4):
- Hon. Estee E. Scholtz · Branch 1
- Hon. Daniel S. Johnson · Branch 2
- Hon. Kristine E. Drettwan · Branch 3
- Hon. Samuel T. Berg · Branch 4
Speeding enforcement and traffic-stop volume by county
Verified statistics from official Wisconsin and county sources.