Racine is our home court. Our office sits at 840 Lake Avenue in downtown Racine, two blocks from the Racine County Courthouse, and we have been defending Racine drivers since 1994. If you were stopped on Washington Avenue, on Main Street, on 6th Street, or while exiting I-94 onto Highway 20, we know the roads, the officers, and the judges who will decide your case.
If the traffic stop also involved suspected impairment, pair this page with the Racine OWI/DUI guide. For broader local criminal-defense context, see the Racine criminal-defense page on racinelaw.com.
Racine traffic court facts that affect the defense strategy
The first question is not just what you were cited for. It is who wrote the ticket, which court is printed on the citation, which prosecutor path applies, and whether the stop happened on a corridor where points, CDL reporting, or insurance exposure can get expensive quickly.
City of Racine Municipal Court
Non-criminal City of Racine ordinance violations, including traffic, parking, first-offense OWI forfeiture matters, underage alcohol, and disorderly conduct citations.
- Address
- 800 Center Street, Racine, WI 53403
- Phone
- (262) 636-9263
Hon. Rob Weber
Municipal court handles forfeiture-level local ordinance citations. A municipal conviction can still create DOT points, insurance consequences, and license issues.
City Attorney at municipal pre-trial
Criminal traffic, sheriff citations, and State Patrol citations move through Tricia Hanson, Racine County District Attorney.
Do not let default judgment decide it
Most Racine municipal tickets say appearance is not required, but a missed not-guilty response can still produce an automatic guilty finding and forfeiture.
A not-guilty plea is routed to a pre-trial meeting with the City Attorney before any municipal-court trial setting.
Racine PD citations usually stay in municipal court. Sheriff, State Patrol, reckless driving, OWI, and operating-after-revocation matters route to Racine County Circuit Court.
- Interstate 94 Racine County exits see heavy State Patrol enforcement, especially weekdays during commute hours.
- Highway 20 (Washington Avenue) Multi-lane urban arterial; 35-45 mph zones with frequent marked units.
- Highway 32 (Douglas Avenue / Main Street) North-south corridor through downtown. Residential speed changes catch drivers off guard.
- Highway 11 Rural-to-urban transition zone; 55 mph drops to 35 mph quickly at the city limits.
Official sources: Racine Municipal Court Racine municipal judge notice
Where your Racine ticket will be heard
City of Racine Municipal Court hears civil traffic citations written by local Racine police, including ordinary speeding, stop-sign and stoplight violations, equipment tickets, and seat-belt citations.
Racine County Circuit Court (730 Wisconsin Avenue) hears all criminal traffic charges and civil citations written by the Racine County Sheriff or Wisconsin State Patrol.
Check the upper-right corner of your citation for the court name before assuming which rules apply. Fines, plea options, and collateral consequences differ between the two.
Law enforcement that commonly cites in Racine
- City of Racine Police Department
- Racine County Sheriff
- Wisconsin State Patrol (I-94 corridor)
Common traffic stops in Racine
- Interstate 94, Racine County exits see heavy State Patrol enforcement, especially weekdays during commute hours.
- Highway 20 (Washington Avenue), Multi-lane urban arterial; 35-45 mph zones with frequent marked units.
- Highway 32 (Douglas Avenue / Main Street), North-south corridor through downtown. Residential speed changes catch drivers off guard.
- Highway 11, Rural-to-urban transition zone; 55 mph drops to 35 mph quickly at the city limits.
Most Racine traffic citations (speeding, stop-sign violations, equipment, and seat-belt tickets) are civil forfeitures heard in the City of Racine Municipal Court. Criminal traffic charges (reckless driving, OWI, operating after revocation, and any citation written on a state highway by the State Patrol or County Sheriff) go to Racine County Circuit Court at 730 Wisconsin Avenue. If your citation lists the Racine County Circuit Court as the venue, the penalties and collateral consequences are significantly higher than a municipal violation, and you should not plead to it without talking to us first.
Racine-area traffic enforcement by the numbers
Verified statistics from official state and county sources.
Racine traffic cases: who hears them
Criminal traffic charges from Racine are heard at the Racine County Circuit Court and prosecuted by the Racine County District Attorney's office.
Sitting Racine County circuit court judges
- 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
Racine traffic defense services
Every practice area below is flat-fee. If your citation lists an offense not shown here, call. We defend the full Wisconsin Vehicle Code.