Douglas County hosts a warrant resolution day from 1-4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 23, in the Government Center, 1316 N. 14th St. Anyone with an active criminal misdemeanor, criminal traffic or Department of Corrections warrant out of Douglas County is encouraged to attend.
"The goal of this is not to arrest people, but to resolve their warrants by rescheduling a court case or really trying to get it resolved," Clerk of Courts Michele Wick said.
No matter how old the case is, she said, warrants remain active until they're quashed. Residents who have warrants can meet with Assistant District Attorney Mark Fruehauf to discuss their case and have a hearing in front of Circuit Court Judge George Glonek.
"The whole point is to get them reconnected, back in the system, warrant quashed, updated contact information," Glonek said. "If we can get cases resolved it's a bonus, but the real focus is just on getting these people back into the system."
It's also a chance to connect with community resources.
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Information tables for the Salvation Army, Northwest Wisconsin Community Services Agency, Harbor House Crisis Shelters, energy assistance and economic support like FoodShare will be set up in the atrium of the Government Center. Someone will be on hand to help people check on their driver's license status on the Department of Motor Vehicles website, as well.
Coffee and cookies will be available and coupons for free haircuts will be handed out on a first-come, first-serve basis.
The Clerk of Courts Office mailed out fliers about the event to 725 people with active warrants; Superior Police Chief Nicholas Alexander has posted the flier on Facebook. Some commenters have raised concerns that this is some kind of bait and switch. That's not the case, organizers said.
Douglas County's warrant resolution day is patterned after similar events in St. Louis County, which were in turn modeled after ones in the Twin Cities.
"If we can save one single loved one a needless night in jail, we've had a good day," said Daniel Lew, chief public defender of the Sixth Judicial District, which covers northeast Minnesota.
Initially held at the Duluth courthouse, Lew said organizers made a commitment last fall to offer warrant resolution at community events instead - Juneteenth, Law Day, even Lincoln Park's summer block party. He said 160 warrants have been cleared at four community events since they made the change.
"The judicial community is building trust," Lew said. "This is not a trap."
He was excited to see Douglas County organizers take on the challenge.
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"This is a great first step; it has all the right elements," Lew said.
People will have the chance to resolve warrants in both Douglas and St. Louis counties next week. St. Louis County's next warrant resolution event, which can clear warrants statewide, is set for 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 25, at the Damiano Center in Duluth, 206 W. Fourth St., in conjunction with Community Connection.
It's a first for the area.
"Two states, two communities separated by a lake are reaching out to the community to provide far better outcomes," Lew said.
Wick has been fielding calls from people who received fliers, including some who didn't know they had a warrant. To check for active Douglas County warrants, visit wcca.wicourts.gov or www.sheriffofdouglascountywi.org , or call the Clerk of Courts Office, 715-395-1203.
