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 […]
When can police conduct a drunk driving stop in Wisconsin?
A police officer must have a valid reason to initiate a traffic stop. In other words, a police officer cannot stop your vehicle without a reasonable and specific reason for doing so. The standard for stopping a vehicle is generally known as “reasonable articulable suspicion.” This means a reasonable person would have concluded that a […]
Pulled Over: Now What?
In a perfect world, no one would ever need to know how to conduct themselves when they gain the attention of law enforcement. However, in the real world, it is crucial to understand your rights and obligations during a traffic stop. If you remember nothing else, remember the following three tips about what to do […]
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 […]
3 common questions after an OWI arrest in Wisconsin
One of the most important things to understand if you have been charged with OWI in Wisconsin is this: no OWI conviction is automatic. You have a right to fight the charge, and you have an opportunity in the brief window after your arrest to protect your driver’s license. The main thing you need to […]
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 […]
3 non-lawyer related tips after an OWI stop in Wisconsin
Being convicted of OWI in Wisconsin can have heavy consequences, including possible jail time, steep fines and the suspension or revocation of your driver’s license. You can take steps to defend against those outcomes. In addition to hiring an experienced OWI defense attorney as soon as possible, here are three basic things that people can […]
How long does a criminal case in Wisconsin typically take?
How long a criminal case takes depends on the specific circumstances of the case. Depending on the specific charge and the facts involved, resolving a criminal case could take as few as a couple of months, or it could take a year or longer, depending on the complexity of case. Whether or not you are […]