Attorney's Note

Under the Wisconsin Statutes, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:
ClassPrisonFine
Class C misdemeanorup to 30 daysup to $500
For details, see § 939.51

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Terms Used In Wisconsin Statutes 941.36

  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Following: when used by way of reference to any statute section, means the section next following that in which the reference is made. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01
  • Person: includes all partnerships, associations and bodies politic or corporate. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01
   (1)    Whoever, without permission and for the purpose of obtaining electrical current, gas or water with intent to defraud any vendor of electricity, gas or water by doing any of the following, is guilty of a Class C misdemeanor:
      (a)    Connects or causes to be connected by wire or any other device with the wire, cables or conductors of any such vendor.
      (b)    Connects or disconnects the meters, pipes or conduits of the vendor or in any other manner tampers or interferes with the meters, pipes or conduits, or connects with the meters, pipes or conduits by pipes, conduits or other instruments.
   (2)   The existence of any of the conditions with reference to meters, pipes, conduits or attachments, described in this section, is presumptive evidence that the person to whom gas, electricity or water is at the time being furnished by or through the meters, pipes, conduits or attachments has, with intent to defraud, created or caused to be created the conditions. The presumption does not apply to any person furnished with gas, electricity or water for less than 31 days or until there has been at least one meter reading.