Wisconsin Statutes
Wis. Stat. § 165.75 (2026)
Crime laboratories
✓ current as of July 2026
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165.75(2)(2) The personnel of the laboratories shall consist of such employees as are authorized under s. 20.922.
165.75(3)(a)(a) The purpose of the laboratories is to establish, maintain and operate crime laboratories to provide technical assistance to local law enforcement officers in the various fields of scientific investigation in the aid of law enforcement. Without limitation because of enumeration the laboratories shall maintain services and employ the necessary specialists, technical and scientific employees for the recognition and proper preservation, marking and scientific analysis of evidence material in the investigation and prosecution of crimes in such fields as firearms identification, the comparison and identification of toolmarks, chemistry, identification of questioned documents, metallurgy, comparative microscopy, instrumental detection of deception, the identification of fingerprints, toxicology, serology and forensic photography.
165.75(3)(b)(b) The employees are not peace officers and have no power of arrest or to serve or execute criminal process. They shall not be appointed as deputy sheriffs and shall not be given police powers by appointment or election to any office. Employees shall not undertake investigation of criminal conduct except upon the request of a sheriff, coroner, medical examiner, district attorney, chief of police, warden or superintendent of any state prison, attorney general or governor. The head of any state agency may request investigations but in those cases the services shall be limited to the field of health, welfare and law enforcement responsibility which has by statute been vested in the particular state agency.
165.75(3)(c)(c) Upon request under par. (b), the laboratories shall collaborate fully in the complete investigation of criminal conduct within their competence in the forensic sciences including field investigation at the scene of the crime and for this purpose may equip a mobile unit or units.
165.75(3)(d)(d) The services of the laboratories available to such officer shall include appearances in court as expert witnesses.
165.75(3)(e)(e) The department may decline to provide laboratory service in any case not involving a potential charge of felony.
165.75(3)(f)(f) The services of the laboratories may be provided in civil cases in which the state or any department, bureau, agency or officer of the state is a party in an official capacity, when requested to do so by the attorney general.
165.75(3)(g)(g) Deoxyribonucleic acid testing ordered under s. 974.07 shall have priority, consistent with the right of a defendant or the state to a speedy trial and consistent with the right of a victim to the prompt disposition of a case.
165.75(4)(4) The operation of the laboratories shall conform to the rules and policies established by the attorney general.
165.75(5)(5) Except as provided in s. 20.001 (5), all moneys received as restitution payments reimbursing the department for moneys expended by the laboratories shall be deposited as general purpose revenue — earned.
165.75 HistoryHistory: 1973 c. 272; 1977 c. 260; 1981 c. 314; 1983 a. 189; 1985 a. 29 ss. 2000 to 2006, 3200 (35); 1987 a. 27; 1989 a. 65; 1991 a. 39; 1993 a. 16; 2005 a. 60; 2013 a. 20; 2023 a. 260.
165.75 AnnotationSub. (1) (b) refers to employees as persons in the service of the laboratories. However, sub. (2) explicitly states that “the personnel of the laboratories shall consist of such employees as are authorized under s. 20.922.” Section 20.922 authorizes state agencies to appoint employees. The Department of Justice is the state agency of which the crime laboratories are a part. Thus the crime laboratory is not a suable entity separate from the department. Odogba v. Department of Justice, 22 F. Supp. 3d 895 (2014).
165.75 AnnotationAn Evaluation of Drug Testing Procedures Used by Forensic Laboratories and the Qualifications of Their Analysts. Stein, Laessig, & Indriksons. 1973 WLR 727.
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 3
cases, 2002–2014 · leading case: State v. Williams, 2002 WI 58 (Wis. 2002).
State v. Williams, 2002 WI 58 (Wis. 2002). “§ 165.75, the primary statute section relating to state crime labs, is placed within the chapter of the statutes entitled "Department of Justice.”
Odogba v. Wisconsin Dep't of Just., 22 F. Supp. 3d 895 (E.D. Wis. 2014). “The Court begins by noting that Wis. Stat. § 165.75 , the primary statutory section relating to state crime labs, is placed within the chapter of the statutes entitled “Department of Justice.”
State v. Franszczak, 2002 WI App 141 (Wis. Ct. App. 2002). “Wis. Stat. § 165.75 (3)(a). The employees of the state crime lab may not undertake criminal investigations "except upon the request of a sheriff, coroner, medical examiner, district attorney, chief of police, warden or superintendent of any state prison, attorney general or…”
— Wis. Stat. § 165.75(3)(a) — 2 cases
State v. Williams, 2002 WI 58 (Wis. 2002). “§ 165.75, the primary statute section relating to state crime labs, is placed within the chapter of the statutes entitled "Department of Justice.”
Odogba v. Wisconsin Dep't of Just., 22 F. Supp. 3d 895 (E.D. Wis. 2014). “The Court begins by noting that Wis. Stat. § 165.75 , the primary statutory section relating to state crime labs, is placed within the chapter of the statutes entitled “Department of Justice.”
— Wis. Stat. § 165.75(b) — 1 case
Odogba v. Wisconsin Dep't of Just., 22 F. Supp. 3d 895 (E.D. Wis. 2014). “The Court begins by noting that Wis. Stat. § 165.75 , the primary statutory section relating to state crime labs, is placed within the chapter of the statutes entitled “Department of Justice.”
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