Assembly Bill 84
The authority of attorneys to issue subpoenas
Topics: Attorney, Court: Procedure, Crime and criminals, Subpoena
Stopped in committee
It never got a , so it never came up for a vote. To try again, a lawmaker would have to start a new bill.
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Introduced, passed
Apr 7, 2011
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Committee, stopped here
Stopped here. No public hearing was held.
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Assembly vote, not reached
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Senate vote, not reached
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Governor, not reached
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Law, not reached
Latest entry in the official record, Mar 23, 2012: “Failed to pass pursuant to ”
It never got a hearing in the Assembly Committee on Judiciary and Ethics. See every bill that never got a hearing this session.
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Terms on this page
Committee
A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.
Public hearing
A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.
Senate Joint Resolution 1
The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.
Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1. More in the glossary
Legislative Reference Bureau
The Legislature's nonpartisan office that drafts bills and writes the summary at the top of each one.
Official term: LRB analysis. More in the glossary
Author
A lawmaker who formally puts a bill forward. The text itself is drafted by the Legislative Reference Bureau.
Official term: Author, coauthor. More in the glossary
Signed on in support
Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.
Official term: Cosponsor. More in the glossary
What it would have done
Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.
Current law allows various public officials, including judges, court commissioners, arbitrators, the attorney general, district attorneys, coroners, medical examiners, boards, and chairpersons of local elected bodies, to issue a subpoena to require the attendance of a witness at a proceeding, hearing, examination, or trial. Under current law, an attorney of record in a civil action or special proceeding also has the power to issue a subpoena to require the attendance of a witness at a deposition, hearing, or trial in the civil action or special proceeding.
Attorneys representing defendants in criminal matters are not listed in the statutes as having authority to issue subpoenas. Current law provides that the rules of practice in civil actions apply in criminal actions, unless otherwise specified.
Read the full summary Show less
Current law does not, however, explicitly authorize attorneys representing criminal defendants to issue subpoenas.
This bill specifically gives attorneys representing criminal defendants the same power to issue subpoenas provided under current law to attorneys in civil actions.
Who's behind it
4 lawmakers are its . 2 are Democrats, 1 is a Independent and 1 is a Republican.
1 more lawmaker .
See all 5 names Hide the names
Authors (4)
- Edward Brooks · Republican, Assembly
- David Cullen · Democrat, Assembly
- Kelda Roys · Democrat, Senate
- Bob Ziegelbauer · Independent, Assembly
Signed on in support (1)
- Lena Taylor · Democrat, Senate
What happened
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Mar 23, 2012
The session ended, and the bill died with it.
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Apr 7, 2011
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Judiciary and Ethics.
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Apr 7, 2011
Introduced in the Assembly.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Apr 7, 2011 · Assembly
Introduced by Representatives Ziegelbauer, Brooks, D. Cullen and Roys;Cosponsored by Senator Taylor
- Apr 7, 2011 · Assembly
Read first time and referred to committee on Judiciary and Ethics
- Mar 23, 2012 · Assembly
Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1
Terms on this page
Committee
A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.
Public hearing
A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.
Senate Joint Resolution 1
The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.
Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1. More in the glossary
Legislative Reference Bureau
The Legislature's nonpartisan office that drafts bills and writes the summary at the top of each one.
Official term: LRB analysis. More in the glossary
Author
A lawmaker who formally puts a bill forward. The text itself is drafted by the Legislative Reference Bureau.
Official term: Author, coauthor. More in the glossary
Signed on in support
Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.
Official term: Cosponsor. More in the glossary
From the Wisconsin Legislature's official record, checked Sep 15, 2026. See the source
Committee
A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.
Public hearing
A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.
Senate Joint Resolution 1
The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.
Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1
Legislative Reference Bureau
The Legislature's nonpartisan office that drafts bills and writes the summary at the top of each one.
Official term: LRB analysis
Signed on in support
Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.
Official term: Cosponsor