Senate Bill 73
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 21, 2011
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Committee, stopped here
Stopped here. No public hearing was held.
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Senate vote, not reached
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Assembly 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 Senate Committee on Judiciary, Utilities, Commerce, and Government Operations. 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
Lena Taylor, a Democrat, is its .
4 more lawmakers .
See all 5 names Hide the names
Author (1)
- Lena Taylor · Democrat, Senate
Signed on in support (4)
- Edward Brooks · Republican, Assembly
- David Cullen · Democrat, Assembly
- Kelda Roys · Democrat, Senate
- Bob Ziegelbauer · Independent, Assembly
What happened
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Mar 23, 2012
The session ended, and the bill died with it.
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Apr 21, 2011
Sent to the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Utilities, Commerce, and Government Operations.
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Apr 21, 2011
Introduced in the Senate.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Apr 21, 2011 · Senate
Introduced by Senator Taylor;Cosponsored by Representatives Ziegelbauer, Brooks, D. Cullen and Roys
- Apr 21, 2011 · Senate
Read first time and referred to committee on Judiciary, Utilities, Commerce, and Government Operations
- Mar 23, 2012 · Senate
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