Sussex Municipal Court Caseload Increasing

The caseload of the Sussex Municipal Court continues to grow with the population, and the seriousness of the offenses being handled by the court is also a trend according to the judge who handles cases for Sussex and other communities.

Douglas R. Stern was elected judge in 1996 and has since served as a part-time municipal judge in the Lake Country Municipal Courts (LCMC).

The LCMC serves the: Village of Sussex, Town of Lisbon, and Village and the Town of Merton in the immediate vicinity, plus the City and the Town of Oconomowoc, Village of Chenequa, Village of Dousman, Village of Hartland, Village of Lac La Belle, Village of Nashotah, Village of Summit, Village of Oconomowoc Lake and the Town of Delafield, as well as -- in other counties -- the Village of Sullivan, Town of Erin and Town of Ixonia.

Judge Stern has also filled-in as judge in several other communities during his career including Saukville and Port Washington.

The majority of Stern’s cases are ‘quasi-criminal,’ he said, but most still fall under the official category of misdemeanor.

“I’m seeing more and more situations and citations issued for what the average citizen would consider criminal activity,” Stern said. “One of the reasons is because the criminal courts are overburdened.” 

Stern said cutbacks by the state have also affected the restructuring of cases, with municipal courts hearing cases which normally in the past would have been heard in criminal courts.

“The district attorney will review the facts of a case and decide if the incident is really a criminal matter,” Stern said.

Two-thirds of the approximately 16,000 cases heard throughout the LCMC last year were traffic violations and one-third non-traffic and juvenile matters.  As population continues to grow, he said caseload handled by his court will grow accordingly. 

After someone appears before Stern he said it’s his hope they come away with a better perspective. “When  a person comes through and sees me I want them to walk away with a lesson learned and more importantly understand how to avoid this type of situation in the future.”

When he’s not hearing cases in Sussex, Stern has a law practice in downtown Waukesha, Stern, Douglas-Brenner Wall and Gay, LLP. “If I were a doctor I’d be called a general practitioner,” Stern said.

“We are starting to see a rise in non-traffic cases here in Sussex,” Stern said. He said he’s seen an increase in shoplifting at stores such as Kohl’s and ShopKo.

“There is a temptation for some shoppers to go into the fitting room with a pair of jeans on and slip another pair over them.”

He said with some of these incidents the defendants may have only been caught once but committed many crimes prior to being caught.

“With first-timers they suffer some pain and embarrassment, have their names published and face a substantial fine,” Stern said.

He believes these things can go a long way in teaching an individual that certain types of behavior will not be tolerated in society.

Stern said when he gives his instructions before court he tries to get to know the people before him. “And they’re going to get to know me,” he said.

“Court can be a great leveler.” He added that local mores or moral standards are being enforced. “Part of my job is working with kids. I’d like to think I can change a kid’s direction, or at least his or her attitude.”

Stern said even though it may sound a bit corny he’d like to turn at least one of ten kids around and open their eyes to a more productive life.

“Sometimes I’ll ask parents what has happened to your child at home. It’s somewhat rare to find a child coming from a home who has a full-time parent. That’s just the nature of our economy.”

The recession in which the country has been submerged has had an impact on local crimes, Stern said. “I’m seeing more interpersonal conflicts, arguments involving alcohol. I’m also seeing a great number of forfeitures and foreclosures.”

Stern doesn’t necessarily believe crime has increased in Sussex, but rather the police department is coming down harder on offenses than 20 years ago.

“I think it’s a quality of life situation,” Stern said. “If I don’t prosecute a kid that throws a rock through a window, I may be seeing him again down the road for a much more serious crime.”

To learn more about the court system which affects Sussex visit its website at www.lcmunict.com.