Wisconsin Statutes

Wis. Stat. § 971.01 (2026)

Filing of the information

✓ current as of July 2026
Find cases: SyfertCases citing this section WI-LEGdocs.legis.wisconsin.gov JustiaChapter on Justia CornellLII Search CasesGoogle Scholar
971.01971.01Filing of the information.
971.01(1)(1)The district attorney shall examine all facts and circumstances connected with any preliminary examination touching the commission of any crime if the defendant has been bound over for trial and, subject to s. 970.03 (10), shall file an information according to the evidence on such examination subscribing his or her name thereto.
Loading...
Loading...
× Details for
PDF view
Link (Permanent link)
Bookmark this location
View toggle
Go to top of document

Search in this chapter
Search in this section
Search in this agency
Search in this chapter group
Search in this chapter
Search in this section
Cross references for section
Acts affecting this section
References to this
1970 Statutes Annotations
Appellate Court Citations
Administrative Code Index

Reference lines
Clear highlighting
971.01(2)(2)The information shall be filed with the clerk within 30 days after the completion of the preliminary examination or waiver thereof except that the district attorney may move the court wherein the information is to be filed for an order extending the period for filing such information for cause. Notice of such motion shall be given the defendant. Failure to file the information within such time shall entitle the defendant to have the action dismissed without prejudice.
971.01 HistoryHistory: 1993 a. 486.
971.01 AnnotationThe failure to file the information is not a mere matter of form, but is grounds for dismissal under sub. (2). State v. Woehrer, 83 Wis. 2d 696, 266 N.W.2d 366 (1978).
971.01 AnnotationThe 30-day limit under sub. (2) does not apply to service on the defendant; only filing with the clerk. State v. May, 100 Wis. 2d 9, 301 N.W.2d 458 (Ct. App. 1980).
971.01 AnnotationIf a challenge is not to the bindover decision, but to a specific charge in the information, the trial court’s review is limited to whether the district attorney abused his or her discretion in issuing the charge. State v. Hooper, 101 Wis. 2d 517, 305 N.W.2d 110 (1981).
971.01 AnnotationThe prosecutor may include charges in the information for which no direct evidence was presented at the preliminary examination, as long as the additional charges are not wholly unrelated to the original charge. State v. Burke, 153 Wis. 2d 445, 451 N.W.2d 739 (1990). See also State v. Richer, 174 Wis. 2d 231, 496 N.W.2d 66 (1993).
971.01 AnnotationA preliminary examination is completed for purposes of sub. (2) when the court finishes scrutinizing the evidence and renders a bindover decision. State v. Phillips, 2000 WI App 184, 238 Wis. 2d 279, 617 N.W.2d 522, 99-3197.
971.01 AnnotationIn this case, the irregularities in e-filing the information were technical defects, and the defendant suffered no prejudice from the irregularities that occurred. The trial court made a finding of fact that the state timely submitted the information, and the defendant’s trial counsel acknowledged receipt of the information in a timely fashion. The defendant was not deprived of the purpose of the information to allow the defendant to adequately prepare a defense. Both ss. 801.18 (16) and 971.26 provided authority for the trial court to find that the irregularities with the information filing did not compel dismissal. State v. Aderemi, 2023 WI App 8, 406 Wis. 2d 132, 986 N.W.2d 306, 21-1445.
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 34 cases (6 in the last 5 years), 1978–2026 · leading case: State v. Burke, 451 N.W.2d 739 (Wis. 1990).
State v. Burke, 451 N.W.2d 739 (Wis. 1990). · cites it 44× “[1] The issue is whether a prosecutor may, pursuant to sec. 971.01(1), Stats. 1987-88, include in an information charges for which there was no direct evidence presented at the preliminary examination.”
State v. Akins, 544 N.W.2d 392 (Wis. 1996). · cites it 16× “We hold that prosecutors, in properly exercising their broad charging discretion under Wis. Stat. § 971.01 (1), may file any charge in the information as long as it is transactionally related to a count on which bind over was ordered.”
State v. Michels, 414 N.W.2d 311 (Wis. Ct. App. 1987). · cites it 5× “Consequently, the charge was properly filed under sec. 971.01, Stats., and Michels is in the same position as if a preliminary hearing had been held on the second-degree murder charge as well.”
State of Iowa v. Deantay Darelle Williams, 895 N.W.2d 856 (Iowa 2017). · cites it 2× “48(b)(2) (West, Westlaw current with amendments received through March 1, 2017).”
State v. Martin, 470 N.W.2d 900 (Wis. 1991). · cites it 4× “Section 971.01(2), Stats. A misdemeanor trial must be commenced within sixty days from the defendant's initial appearance, and felony trials must begin within ninety days from the date trial is demanded in writing or on the record.”
State v. Richer, 496 N.W.2d 66 (Wis. 1993). · cites it 6× “Richer argues that pursuant to sec. 971.01, Stats., the state may include counts in the information only "according to the evidence" adduced at the preliminary hearing.”
People v. Saez, 237 Cal. App. 4th 1177 (Cal. Ct. App. 2015). · cites it 2× “) As in California, “[t]he complaint is the initial charging document in a felony case and precedes the information.” (9 Wis.”
State v. Williams, 544 N.W.2d 400 (Wis. 1996). · cites it 4× “(1) The district attorney shall examine all facts and circumstances connected with any preliminary examination touching the commission of any crime if the defendant has been bound over for trial and, subject to s. 970.03 (10), shall file an information according to the evidence…”
State v. Hooper, 305 N.W.2d 110 (Wis. 1981). · cites it 3× “Citing sec. 971.01, Stats., and Mark, supra, this court held: „ “A district attorney is permitted to file an information containing such charges as the facts adduced at the preliminary examination warrant.”
State v. O'connell, 508 N.W.2d 23 (Wis. Ct. App. 1993). · cites it 6× “She argues that she must expressly agree to a waiver of the sec. 971.01(2), Stats., thirty-day filing requirement.”
State v. Crockett, 2001 WI App 235 (Wis. Ct. App. 2001). · cites it 2× “In November 1997, Crockett filed a second motion in the trial court, this time alleging that the trial court lacked jurisdiction to sentence him because the State failed to file an information as required by Wis. Stat. § 971.01 (2) (1991-92). The trial court denied this motion.”
State v. Williams, 544 N.W.2d 406 (Wis. 1996). · cites it 2× “§ 971.01(1) states in relevant part: "The district attorney shall examine all facts and circumstances connected with any preliminary examination .”
— Wis. Stat. § 971.01(1) — 11 cases
State v. Burke, 451 N.W.2d 739 (Wis. 1990). “[1] The issue is whether a prosecutor may, pursuant to sec. 971.01(1), Stats. 1987-88, include in an information charges for which there was no direct evidence presented at the preliminary examination.”
State v. Michels, 414 N.W.2d 311 (Wis. Ct. App. 1987). “Consequently, the charge was properly filed under sec. 971.01, Stats., and Michels is in the same position as if a preliminary hearing had been held on the second-degree murder charge as well.”
State v. Williams, 544 N.W.2d 406 (Wis. 1996). “§ 971.01(1) states in relevant part: "The district attorney shall examine all facts and circumstances connected with any preliminary examination .”
State v. Akins, 544 N.W.2d 392 (Wis. 1996). “We hold that prosecutors, in properly exercising their broad charging discretion under Wis. Stat. § 971.01 (1), may file any charge in the information as long as it is transactionally related to a count on which bind over was ordered.”
State v. Hooper, 305 N.W.2d 110 (Wis. 1981). “Citing sec. 971.01, Stats., and Mark, supra, this court held: „ “A district attorney is permitted to file an information containing such charges as the facts adduced at the preliminary examination warrant.”
— Wis. Stat. § 971.01(1)(d) — 1 case
State v. Hatch, 425 N.W.2d 27 (Wis. Ct. App. 1988).
— Wis. Stat. § 971.01(2) — 10 cases
State v. Martin, 470 N.W.2d 900 (Wis. 1991). “Section 971.01(2), Stats. A misdemeanor trial must be commenced within sixty days from the defendant's initial appearance, and felony trials must begin within ninety days from the date trial is demanded in writing or on the record.”
State v. O'connell, 508 N.W.2d 23 (Wis. Ct. App. 1993). “She argues that she must expressly agree to a waiver of the sec. 971.01(2), Stats., thirty-day filing requirement.”
State v. Michels, 414 N.W.2d 311 (Wis. Ct. App. 1987). “Consequently, the charge was properly filed under sec. 971.01, Stats., and Michels is in the same position as if a preliminary hearing had been held on the second-degree murder charge as well.”
State v. Woehrer, 266 N.W.2d 366 (Wis. 1978).
State v. May, 301 N.W.2d 458 (Wis. Ct. App. 1980).
— Wis. Stat. § 971.01(l)(d) — 1 case
State v. Hatch, 425 N.W.2d 27 (Wis. Ct. App. 1988).
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.