MONROE - Starting Monday, Oct. 3, the Green County District Attorney's office changed its worthless check prosecution program to a check offender program administrated by a private company.
A section in the Wisconsin Code of Criminal Procedure that was enacted in 2006 allows a Wisconsin's DA office to contract with a private vendor to administer its worthless check deferred prosecution program.
Green County District Attorney Gary Luhman said the primary goals of the Green County Check Offender Program include deterring offenders from issuing worthless checks; collecting restitution for those victimized by worthless checks; and holding repeat offenders accountable by decreasing the time between when a worthless check is issued and the time the offender has an initial court appearance.
Under the new program:
n There will be a 90-day time period after receiving a worthless check for the victim merchant to submit the check and proper paperwork to the Green County Check Offender Program for Prosecution.
n The private vendor will process the worthless check, verify all the statutory criteria for prosecuting the worthless check have been met by the victim merchant, and then send out a notice and demand the offender pay restitution and a $35 fee.
n The DA's office will begin criminal prosecution upon receiving a referral for issuance of worthless checks, rather than making an additional attempt to contact the offender and collect restitution prior to issuing the charge, as had been done previously.
The DA's office has maintained a Worthless Check Prosecution Program since the early 1980s. The new program will be administrated by Stewart & Associates, Inc. of Freeport.
In order to participate in the Green County Check Offender Program, merchants and businesses will need to sign an agreement with the DA's office and the Check Offender Program.
An informational packet is available to local merchants at the Green County District Attorney's Office or at a participating law enforcement agency.
For more information, call Luhman at (608) 328-9424.
A section in the Wisconsin Code of Criminal Procedure that was enacted in 2006 allows a Wisconsin's DA office to contract with a private vendor to administer its worthless check deferred prosecution program.
Green County District Attorney Gary Luhman said the primary goals of the Green County Check Offender Program include deterring offenders from issuing worthless checks; collecting restitution for those victimized by worthless checks; and holding repeat offenders accountable by decreasing the time between when a worthless check is issued and the time the offender has an initial court appearance.
Under the new program:
n There will be a 90-day time period after receiving a worthless check for the victim merchant to submit the check and proper paperwork to the Green County Check Offender Program for Prosecution.
n The private vendor will process the worthless check, verify all the statutory criteria for prosecuting the worthless check have been met by the victim merchant, and then send out a notice and demand the offender pay restitution and a $35 fee.
n The DA's office will begin criminal prosecution upon receiving a referral for issuance of worthless checks, rather than making an additional attempt to contact the offender and collect restitution prior to issuing the charge, as had been done previously.
The DA's office has maintained a Worthless Check Prosecution Program since the early 1980s. The new program will be administrated by Stewart & Associates, Inc. of Freeport.
In order to participate in the Green County Check Offender Program, merchants and businesses will need to sign an agreement with the DA's office and the Check Offender Program.
An informational packet is available to local merchants at the Green County District Attorney's Office or at a participating law enforcement agency.
For more information, call Luhman at (608) 328-9424.