Whitewater is home to the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, and the student population drives a steady volume of first-time traffic citations. The city straddles the Walworth-Jefferson county line, which can affect where your case is heard. We defend Whitewater drivers in the Whitewater Municipal Court and in the relevant county circuit court.
If the traffic stop also involved suspected impairment, pair this page with the Whitewater OWI/DUI guide. For broader local criminal-defense context, see the Whitewater criminal-defense page on racinelaw.com.
Where your Whitewater ticket will be heard
City of Whitewater Municipal Court hears civil traffic citations written by local Whitewater police, including ordinary speeding, stop-sign and stoplight violations, equipment tickets, and seat-belt citations.
Walworth County Circuit Court (1800 County Trunk Highway NN, Elkhorn) or Jefferson County Circuit Court depending on where the stop occurred hears all criminal traffic charges and civil citations written by the Walworth 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 Whitewater
- Whitewater Police Department
- Walworth County Sheriff
- Jefferson County Sheriff (northern portion of the city)
- Wisconsin State Patrol
Common traffic stops in Whitewater
- US-12, Chicago-to-Madison corridor; heavy State Patrol presence.
- Highway 59, East-west route through Whitewater; speed reductions near the UW-Whitewater campus.
- Highway 89, North-south route; rural-to-urban transition at the city limits.
First-time convictions for student drivers can be particularly costly because Wisconsin’s Admin Code Trans 101 demerit points stay on the record for five years, and at 12 points in a 12-month window your license is suspended for two to twelve months. A student who cannot drive home for winter break has a real problem. Most first-time tickets are eligible for amendment to a non-point or lower-point violation. Do not let a busy semester push you into paying it without a review.
Whitewater-area traffic enforcement by the numbers
Verified statistics from official state and county sources.
Whitewater traffic cases: who hears them
Criminal traffic charges from Whitewater are heard at the Walworth County Circuit Court and prosecuted by the Walworth County District Attorney's office.
Sitting Walworth County circuit court judges
- Hon. Estee E. Scholtz · Branch 1 County directory uses 'Scholtz' spelling; wicourts.gov has a typo.
- Hon. Daniel S. Johnson · Branch 2
- Hon. Kristine E. Drettwan · Branch 3
- Hon. Samuel T. Berg · Branch 4
Whitewater 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.