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Bills from the 2013–14 session

Assembly Bill 560

Juries in criminal cases and contents of registers of officials

Became law

The governor signed it on Mar 27, 2014. It's ⁠.

  1. Introduced, passed

    Dec 12, 2013

  2. Committee, passed

    Approved

  3. Assembly vote, passed

    Passed Jan 14, 2014

  4. Senate vote, passed

    Passed Feb 11, 2014

  5. Governor, passed

    Signed

  6. Law, here now

    2013 Wisconsin Act 164

Latest entry in the official record, Mar 27, 2014: “Published 3-28-2014”

Read the bill

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What it does

Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.

In State v. Hansford, 219 Wis. 2d 226, 580 N.W.2d 171 (1998), the Wisconsin Supreme Court held that the Wisconsin Constitution requires a twelve-person jury in all criminal cases and that the law providing for a six-person jury in misdemeanor cases was unconstitutional.

This bill eliminates an inconsistency in current law governing the number of jurors in a criminal case. The bill eliminates a provision that allows a six-person jury in misdemeanor cases and provides that a jury in any criminal case shall consist of 12 persons, unless the parties agree to a smaller number and the court approves the agreement.

Read the full summary

Under current law, the clerk of circuit court for each county must keep a record called "registers of officials" containing the names of circuit and supplemental court commissioners, deputy sheriffs, notaries public, and municipal judges. Under this bill, the clerk of circuit court is not required to keep the names of notaries public in the registers of officials.

For further information, see the Notes provided by the Law Revision Committee of the Joint Legislative Council.

Who's behind it

Law Revision Committee is its ⁠.

See all the details

Author (1)

  • Law Revision Committee

How lawmakers voted

There were 2 votes on this bill.

Assembly Committee on Judiciary vote to recommend it

Passed, 8 to 0 · Jan 6, 2014

No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Official motion: “Report passage recommended by Committee on Judiciary, Ayes 8, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Senate vote

Passed, 5 to 0 · Feb 6, 2014

No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Official motion: “Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 5, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

What happened

  1. Mar 27, 2014

    The new law was published.

  2. Mar 27, 2014

    The governor signed it. It became 2013 Wisconsin Act 164.

  3. Mar 26, 2014

    Sent to the governor.

  4. Feb 11, 2014

    The Senate passed it too.

  5. Feb 6, 2014

    “Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 5, Noes 0” (the official wording)

  6. Jan 15, 2014

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Senate Organization.

  7. Jan 15, 2014

    The Senate received it.

  8. Jan 14, 2014

    The Assembly passed it.

  9. Jan 6, 2014

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.

  10. Jan 6, 2014

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 8 to 0.

  11. Dec 19, 2013

    The committee held a public hearing.

  12. Dec 12, 2013

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Judiciary.

  13. Dec 12, 2013

    Introduced in the Assembly.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Dec 12, 2013 · Assembly

    Introduced by Law Revision Committee

  2. Dec 12, 2013 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Judiciary

  3. Dec 19, 2013 · Assembly

    Public hearing held

  4. Dec 19, 2013 · Assembly

    Executive action taken

  5. Jan 6, 2014 · Assembly

    Report passage recommended by Committee on Judiciary, Ayes 8, Noes 0

  6. Jan 6, 2014 · Assembly

    Referred to Committee on Rules

  7. Jan 8, 2014 · Assembly

    Placed on calendar 1-14-2014 by Committee on Rules

  8. Jan 14, 2014 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  9. Jan 14, 2014 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  10. Jan 14, 2014 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  11. Jan 14, 2014 · Assembly

    Read a third time and passed

  12. Jan 14, 2014 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  13. Jan 15, 2014 · Senate

    Received from Assembly

  14. Jan 15, 2014 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to committee on Senate Organization

  15. Jan 15, 2014 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  16. Feb 6, 2014 · Senate

    Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 5, Noes 0

  17. Feb 6, 2014 · Senate

    Placed on calendar 2-11-2014 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)

  18. Feb 11, 2014 · Senate

    Read a second time

  19. Feb 11, 2014 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  20. Feb 11, 2014 · Senate

    Rules suspended

  21. Feb 11, 2014 · Senate

    Read a third time and concurred in

  22. Feb 11, 2014 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  23. Feb 11, 2014 · Assembly

    Received from Senate concurred in

  24. Feb 28, 2014 · Assembly

    Report correctly enrolled on 2-28-2014

  25. Mar 26, 2014 · Assembly

    Presented to the Governor on 3-26-2014

  26. Mar 27, 2014 · Assembly

    Report approved by the Governor on 3-27-2014. 2013 Wisconsin Act 164

  27. Mar 27, 2014 · Assembly

    Published 3-28-2014

Terms on this page

Wisconsin Act

The number a bill gets when it becomes law, like 2025 Wisconsin Act 12.

Official term: Act. 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

Roll call

A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.

Official term: Roll call vote. More in the glossary

From the Wisconsin Legislature's official record, checked Sep 15, 2026. See the source

Wisconsin Act

The number a bill gets when it becomes law, like 2025 Wisconsin Act 12.

Official term: Act

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

Roll call

A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.

Official term: Roll call vote

More in the glossary