Bill > AB34

This bill modifies Wisconsin statutes to limit the circumstances under which a court can issue a criminal complaint against a law enforcement officer involved in an officer-involved death. Specifically, if a district attorney determines there is no basis to prosecute an officer in an officer-involved death (defined elsewhere as a death directly resulting from an officer's action or omission), a circuit court may not file a complaint against that officer unless new or unused evidence is presented. The bill amends two sections of state law (968.02 and 968.26) to add this restriction, effectively preventing judges from independently issuing criminal complaints against officers in such cases when the district attorney has already decided not to prosecute. The changes will apply to determinations made by district attorneys from the act's effective date forward, providing a new procedural limitation on how officer-involved death cases can be pursued through the criminal justice system. The bill appears designed to provide additional legal protection for law enforcement officers in cases where initial investigations have found no prosecutable misconduct.

Justice

https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2025/proposals/reg/asm/bill/ab34