How can I fight back if an unlawful police search led to criminal charges?
Both the U.S. Constitution and crucial court precedents protect you from unlawful searches by law enforcement. Specifically, the Fourth Amendment grants you freedom from unreasonable search and seizure, and numerous court rulings over the years have helped reaffirm those rights. Police officers typically either need your permission or a search warrant from the court to […]
The Value of Performing Under Pressure
When your freedom hangs in the balance, the pressure is on, from every angle. Criminal charges are life-changing regardless of the outcome of your case. It is important to have an attorney behind you from the very start who can not only navigate the pressures of your unique case but thrive in the face of […]
Why are people falsely convicted?
Since the development of DNA evidence, it cannot be denied that people are falsely convicted. DNA testing has allowed for hundreds of convictions to be overturned, with solid proof that the people who were originally convicted were not guilty of the crimes they were accused of. Some of those who were wrongfully convicted only spent […]
Trauma-Informed Criminal Defense
In the aftermath of a traumatic event, it can feel like your life is hurtling out of control. You may find yourself feeling afraid, irritable, or overwhelmed by shame or other negative emotions. It can be difficult to make sense of what happened, and consequently it may feel like an insurmountable task to talk about […]
The Importance of Storytelling in the Courtroom
One of the most important aspects of being a criminal defense attorney is telling our client’s story. We tell it to investigators, prosecutors, and judges, but no rendition of the story is more important than the one we recite to the jury. Who Do You Trust to Tell Your Story? Would you trust a stranger […]
Don’t Let Your Lips Sink Your Defense
Do you remember watching shows growing up where the protagonists encountered the dangerous threat of quicksand? Inevitably, someone would start panicking and moving quickly to stay on the surface, only to sink further into the quicksand until someone rescued them. “Where are you going with this? I don’t think we even have quicksand in Wisconsin…” […]
How can trace DNA evidence lead to a wrongful conviction?
A loose eyelash, a chipped nail, saliva or fingerprints — just about everywhere you go you leave some kind of DNA evidence behind. For decades, tracing DNA evidence back to someone was nearly impossible — a fictional dream that any criminal investigator would wish for. Now, technology has evolved so much in the last 30 […]
Is stop and frisk legal in Wisconsin?
Violations of people’s rights are not uncommon in police investigations. For example, if police officers detain and search a person with no legitimate grounds for doing so, the evidence obtained in the search may be deemed inadmissible in court. What is stop and frisk? In some cases, police officers may engage in a practice called […]
Criminal Defense 101: Understand these 3 things about police searches in Wisconsin
It can be extremely intimidating when a police officer asks to search you or your property, or when police officers show up with a search warrant. If you are facing a charge after a police search, remember: the U.S. Constitution protects you against “unreasonable searches and seizures.” And Wisconsin’s state constitution uses the same language. […]
3 examples of when evidence in a criminal case may be thrown out
Every day in Wisconsin, people are arrested and charged with crimes on the basis of evidence that is questionable. Police and prosecutors are not immune to mistakes, and no one should be convicted on the basis of faulty evidence. In general, if the police illegally obtain evidence against you, the evidence should be regarded as […]