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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Fitchburg Municipal Court Session: Arrangements and Sentencing - April 2, 2026

Common Council & City Boards — Thursday, April 2, 2026

BodyFitchburg, Wisconsin

SessionCommon Council & City Boards

DateThursday, April 2, 2026

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 55:41

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.

Speaker 1

0:00

Hi, I'm Jeremy Crosby.

0:01

And I'm Nick Boucher.

0:02

We're your host for the program.

0:04

It's all about your city, Talking Pittsburgh.

Speaker 2

0:06

Every weekday, we pull together the news, events, and information you need to stay on top of what's happening in the city of Pittsburgh.

0:12

Find

Speaker 1

0:12

Talking Fitzburg on Cable TV, Roku, Amazon Fire, Apple TV, and our live stream on the web.

0:18

Plus, you can find all our headlines and stories on Facebook, YouTube, and our video on demand service.

Speaker 2

0:23

This is your city.

0:24

Keep up with Talking Fitchburg and the issues affecting you and your neighbors.

Speaker 3

0:29

Get connected, Fitchburg.

0:31

Sign up for Fitchburg Connect, the city's monthly e-newsletter that keeps you informed about all the events, services, and updates that matter to you.

0:39

Get it in your inbox once a month.

0:42

Sign up today to get Fitchburg Connect.

Speaker 4

1:19

Before we start, I would like to explain to you the process that will be following tonight.

1:25

Tonight's session is an arrangement session.

1:28

You're going to be asked a very simple question, and that is what plea would you like to enter.

1:33

Now we have three alternatives.

1:35

And the first one is to enter a plea of not guilty.

1:39

Which means you believe you're innocent, or you believe that the city cannot prove its case against you.

1:47

So in this case, if you want to enter a plea of not guilty, you can leave the room right

Unassigned speaker

1:54

now.

Speaker 4

1:55

The second alternative is to enter a plea of guilty, which means

Unassigned speaker

1:59

whatever I do.

Speaker 4

2:00

You want to leave the room, yes, you

Unassigned speaker

2:02

can.

Speaker 4

2:05

No, no, excuse me.

2:07

Does he understand what I was saying?

Speaker 5

2:09

Yeah, yes, sir.

Speaker 4

2:16

Okay, just relax.

2:19

We'll call you in when it comes to your turn, sir.

2:23

Okay.

2:24

So the second alternative is to enter a plea of guilty, which means you are accepting the facts and circumstances that are stated in the citation you already received.

2:35

The third alternative is called a plea of no contest, which means though you may think you're innocent, you are sure that should your case goes to trial, you will end up being found guilty.

2:47

In essence, it's a lot of evidence against you.

2:50

Now, if you enter a plea of no contest, you will be found guilty.

2:53

However,

Unassigned speaker

2:55

there

Speaker 4

2:55

is an advantage to a plea of no contest in cases involving potential civil liability claims.

3:02

Let me explain that to you.

3:03

Suppose you were involved in a car accident, and in addition to the accident itself, somebody may claim that uh you injured him or her, and you are liable then for the cost of treatment, or you injured his car, and you are liable then for the cost of repairing the car.

3:25

If you enter a plea of guilty, it may be used against you in such civil liability claims actions.

3:33

However, if you enter a plea of no contest, it may not be used against you.

3:38

If you have been here and worried that somebody's gonna sue you for damages and contemplating entering a plea of guilty, my advice to you is to enter a plea of no contest instead.

3:49

Now most of you are here for alleged traffic citations.

3:53

Should understand if I find you guilty, in addition to the fine that I'm gonna ask you to pay, I will take from you something called demerit points.

4:01

If in one single year you accumulate 12 demerit points, your uh driving privilege will be suspended.

4:09

If you are here for the offense of operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of an intoxicant, you should know that you have the right to request a jury trial.

4:20

If you do so, the trial will be held at the Dane County Circuit Court.

4:24

It will not be held in Fitchburg.

4:27

Briefly, I'm gonna let you know something about our philosophy in Fitchburg.

4:32

It's our philosophy to see that justice is individualized.

4:36

What I mean by that is that I'm gonna listen carefully to whatever mitigating circumstances that you may wish to share with me.

4:44

Now you don't have to tell me anything, but if you want to share with me any information in mitigation of what you did, I would listen carefully to

Unassigned speaker

4:52

it.

Speaker 4

4:52

And provided that it's truthful and believable.

4:56

The second thing that I do is that I look at your past record.

Unassigned speaker

5:00

Right in front of me, just anything that you have committed in the past, I have a record of it.

Speaker 4

5:06

Usually in cases where you have some mitigation out of your hand and you have a good record, I probably would reduce your fine or reduce the point.

5:20

And that's the case in all traffic citations with the exception of traffic citations where alcohol or drugs was a factor in the issuance of the citation.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Driver Licensing█████████████████████████████████████████████67%

Procedural██████████████21%

Public Safety█████7%

Mental Health Awareness███5%

Summary of Proceedings

Introduction

On April 2, 2026, the Fitchburg Municipal Court held an arrangement and sentencing session. The presiding judge outlined the court's procedures, including the types of pleas, the demerit points system, and the distinction between municipal and criminal court. The court then heard a series of cases involving traffic citations, operating while intoxicated (OWI) offenses, and municipal ordinance violations.

Public Comments & Testimony

The court heard testimony from numerous defendants. Key statements provided in mitigation or explanation included:

Ariel Jones: Sought to reopen a default judgment, citing lack of transportation to her prior court date. The motion was denied.
Jason Modest: Pleaded guilty to zone speeding (90 mph in a 55 mph zone), stating it occurred between work sites.
Ronald Smith: Pleaded guilty to shoplifting, acknowledging his actions and expressing a willingness to make amends.
Dwayne Steinhauer: Pleaded no contest to failure to secure a load, explaining a tire blowout caused the materials to be lost.
Trevon Washington: Pleaded guilty to zone speeding (51 mph in a 30 mph zone), expressing concern about points on his probationary license.
Kayla Bergen: Pleaded guilty to shoplifting, stating she was 55 days sober and acted out of desperation due to alcoholism.
Leandro Asperuto Carranza: Pleaded guilty to OWI (BAC 0.23) and operating without a license, confirming a juvenile was present in the vehicle but no accident occurred.
Alvaro Gutierrez: Pleaded guilty to OWI (BAC 0.14) and zone speeding, stating he was alone and caused no accident.

Discussion Items

Court Process Overview: The judge provided a comprehensive explanation of municipal court proceedings, including the definitions of guilty, not guilty, and no contest pleas, the impact of demerit points, and advantages of no contest pleas in civil liability cases. The judge emphasized the court's philosophy of individualized justice and detailed the consequences of non-payment of fines, including potential arrest and jail time.
OWI Penalty Structure: The judge advised multiple OWI defendants on Wisconsin's penalty framework, noting a first offense is a civil conviction, a second offense within ten years is a criminal conviction, and subsequent offenses carry mandatory jail time and potential felony charges.
Default Judgment Motions: The judge considered motions to reopen default judgments. In both cases, the judge denied the motions, stating the defendants had failed to contact the court prior to their missed court dates.
Juvenile Present in OWI Stop: During the Leandro Asperuto Carranza case, the judge inquired about a juvenile in the vehicle, noting this could affect the court's jurisdiction, but proceeded with the hearing.
Driving Privilege Advisement: The court advised Trevon Washington on obtaining an occupational license from the Division of Motor Vehicles due to his probationary license status.

Key Outcomes

Guilty and No Contest Pleas Accepted: The court accepted pleas for the majority of citations.
OWI Sentences Imposed:
- Leandro Asperuto Carranza (BAC 0.23): Fined $1,099, 9-month license revocation, mandatory assessment, and required ignition interlock device (IID).
- Alvaro Gutierrez (BAC 0.14): Fined $923, 7-month license revocation, and mandatory assessment.
- Unnamed Defendant (BAC 0.21): Fined $1,099, 9-month revocation, IID requirement, mandatory assessment, and granted a $200 bi-weekly payment plan.
Other Sentences and Reductions:
- Trevon Washington: Speeding points reduced from 6 to 4.
- Ling Lu: Speeding points reduced from 4 to 3; fine of $98.
- Mason Jordan: Operating while revoked charge reduced to $78 fine and 0 points after proving license reinstatement.
- Ariel Jones: Default judgment upheld; fine set at $38 with no points.
- Ronald Smith: Shoplifting fine set at $38; granted a monthly payment plan.
- Brian Imhoff: Citation for no proof of insurance resolved with a $10 fine upon providing valid proof.
Referral for Plea Bargain: The court referred a defendant (Abdel Hakim) who pleaded not guilty to meet with the city prosecutor for potential negotiations.

Meeting Transcript

Hi, I'm Jeremy Crosby. And I'm Nick Boucher. We're your host for the program. It's all about your city, Talking Pittsburgh. Every weekday, we pull together the news, events, and information you need to stay on top of what's happening in the city of Pittsburgh. Find Talking Fitzburg on Cable TV, Roku, Amazon Fire, Apple TV, and our live stream on the web. Plus, you can find all our headlines and stories on Facebook, YouTube, and our video on demand service. This is your city. Keep up with Talking Fitchburg and the issues affecting you and your neighbors. Get connected, Fitchburg. Sign up for Fitchburg Connect, the city's monthly e-newsletter that keeps you informed about all the events, services, and updates that matter to you. Get it in your inbox once a month. Sign up today to get Fitchburg Connect. Before we start, I would like to explain to you the process that will be following tonight. Tonight's session is an arrangement session. You're going to be asked a very simple question, and that is what plea would you like to enter. Now we have three alternatives. And the first one is to enter a plea of not guilty. Which means you believe you're innocent, or you believe that the city cannot prove its case against you. So in this case, if you want to enter a plea of not guilty, you can leave the room right now. The second alternative is to enter a plea of guilty, which means whatever I do. You want to leave the room, yes, you can. No, no, excuse me. Does he understand what I was saying? Yeah, yes, sir. Okay, just relax. We'll call you in when it comes to your turn, sir. Okay. So the second alternative is to enter a plea of guilty, which means you are accepting the facts and circumstances that are stated in the citation you already received. The third alternative is called a plea of no contest, which means though you may think you're innocent, you are sure that should your case goes to trial, you will end up being found guilty. In essence, it's a lot of evidence against you. Now, if you enter a plea of no contest, you will be found guilty. However, there is an advantage to a plea of no contest in cases involving potential civil liability claims. Let me explain that to you. Suppose you were involved in a car accident, and in addition to the accident itself, somebody may claim that uh you injured him or her, and you are liable then for the cost of treatment, or you injured his car, and you are liable then for the cost of repairing the car. If you enter a plea of guilty, it may be used against you in such civil liability claims actions. However, if you enter a plea of no contest, it may not be used against you. If you have been here and worried that somebody's gonna sue you for damages and contemplating entering a plea of guilty, my advice to you is to enter a plea of no contest instead. Now most of you are here for alleged traffic citations. Should understand if I find you guilty, in addition to the fine that I'm gonna ask you to pay, I will take from you something called demerit points. If in one single year you accumulate 12 demerit points, your uh driving privilege will be suspended. If you are here for the offense of operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of an intoxicant, you should know that you have the right to request a jury trial. If you do so, the trial will be held at the Dane County Circuit Court. It will not be held in Fitchburg.

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