Wisconsin Statutes
Wis. Stat. § 801.03 (2026)
Jurisdiction; definitions
✓ current as of July 2026
Find cases:
SyfertCases citing this section
WI-LEGdocs.legis.wisconsin.gov
JustiaChapter on Justia
CornellLII Search
CasesGoogle Scholar
801.03801.03 Jurisdiction; definitions. In this chapter, the following words have the designated meanings:
801.03(1)(1) “Defendant” means the person named as defendant in a civil action, and where in this chapter acts of the defendant are referred to, the reference attributes to the defendant any person’s acts for which acts the defendant is legally responsible. In determining for jurisdiction purposes the defendant’s legal responsibility for the acts of another, the substantive liability of the defendant to the plaintiff is irrelevant.
801.03(2)(2) “Person” means any natural person, partnership, association, and body politic and corporate.
801.03(3)(3) “Plaintiff” means the person named as plaintiff in a civil action, and where in this chapter acts of the plaintiff are referred to, the reference attributes to the plaintiff the acts of an agent within the scope of the agent’s authority.
801.03 AnnotationIllegal aliens have the right to sue in Wisconsin for injuries negligently inflicted upon them. Arteaga v. Literski, 83 Wis. 2d 128, 265 N.W.2d 148 (1978).
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 5
cases (2 in the last 5 years), 1978–2025 · leading case: Rasmussen v. Gen. Motors Corp., 2011 WI 52 (Wis. 2011).
Rasmussen v. Gen. Motors Corp., 2011 WI 52 (Wis. 2011). “801, Wis. Stat. § 801.03 (1) defines "defendant" as "the person named as defendant in a civil action, and where in this chapter acts of the defendant are referred to, the reference attributes to the defendant any person's acts for which acts the defendant is legally responsible.”
Town of Walworth v. Vill. of Fontana-On-Geneva Lake, 270 N.W.2d 442 (Wis. Ct. App. 1978). “Section 801.03(3), Stats., defines “defendant,” for purposes of that chapter, as a “person named as defendant.”
State v. One 1973 Cadillac, 291 N.W.2d 626 (Wis. Ct. App. 1980). “3 Sec. 801.03(1), Stats., provides that a “ ‘[pl^son’ means any natural person, partnership, association, and body politic and corporate.”
MCP IP, LLC v. Velocity Outdoor Inc. (W.D. Wis. 2025). “” Wis. Stat. Ann. §§ 801.03 (1), 801.05(3) (West 2025).”
MCP IP, LLC v. Velocity Outdoor Inc. (D. Del. 2025). “” Wis. Stat. Ann. §§ 801.03 (1), 801.05(3) (West 2025).”
— Wis. Stat. § 801.03(1) — 1 case
State v. One 1973 Cadillac, 291 N.W.2d 626 (Wis. Ct. App. 1980). “3 Sec. 801.03(1), Stats., provides that a “ ‘[pl^son’ means any natural person, partnership, association, and body politic and corporate.”
— Wis. Stat. § 801.03(3) — 1 case
Town of Walworth v. Vill. of Fontana-On-Geneva Lake, 270 N.W.2d 442 (Wis. Ct. App. 1978). “Section 801.03(3), Stats., defines “defendant,” for purposes of that chapter, as a “person named as defendant.”
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the
Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and
treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.