We Find The Defendant – Not Guilty
Leaders in criminal defense, because all we do is criminal defense
The criminal defense attorneys at Nelson Defense Group have an outstanding reputation throughout Wisconsin for winning not-guilty verdicts for clients facing life-changing criminal charges. Our successes include a record-setting number of not-guilty verdicts in homicide/murder cases.
Our founding attorney, Aaron A. Nelson, has received seven Martin Hanson Memorial awards, which are awarded for not guilty verdicts in Wisconsin homicide cases. Aaron’s six awards surpass any other attorney in Wisconsin.
We have also won numerous jury trials involving charges of sexual assault against both children and adults.
Attorney Adam P. Nero is the only attorney in western Wisconsin to focus his entire practice on defending OWI/DUI charges. Adam has won not-guilty verdicts, reduced charges, and dismissals of more than 100 OWI/DUI charges across Wisconsin.
If you are facing a criminal charge of any kind, please call us immediately at 715-226-3186 for a free initial discussion of your case.
Not Guilty Verdict: Stalking (x4), Disorderly Conduct (x4), and Criminal Damage to Property
Oneida County, Wisconsin, man charged with multiple counts of Stalking, Misconduct in Public Office, False Imprisonment, Disorderly Conduct and Criminal Damage to Property has 6 counts dismissed the week before trial and was then found not guilty by a jury of 9 of the 11 remaining counts. While the verdicts did not result in a complete exoneration, Attorney Nelson did manage to have 15 of the 17 counts ultimately dismissed.
County: Oneida County
Not Guilty Verdict: Battery or Threat to Law Enforcement Officer
Hudson, Wisconsin, man charged Battery or Threat to Law Enforcement Office was found not guilty at a Court Trial based on Attorney Nelson’s argument that man’s threats were not “true threats” because a reasonable person would not have believed them to be true.
County: St. Croix County
Not Guilty Verdict: Criminal Damage to Property and Bail Jumping
Menomonie, Wisconsin, man charged with Criminal Damage to Property and Bail Jumping found not guilty of all charges after Attorney Nelson’s cross-examination of the complainant and deep analysis of the video recording convinced the jury that the damage was unintentional and likely caused by the complainant’s actions.
County: Dunn County
Not Guilty Verdict: 3rd Degree Sexual Assault
Hudson, Wisconsin, man charged with 3rd Degree Sexual Assault was found not guilty of all charges after Attorney Nelson and his Elite Defense Group partner Jessa Nicholson convinced the jury that the sexual event was consensual.
County: St. Croix County
Not Guilty Verdict: OWI/PAC-3rd
Minnesota man charged with OWI/PAC-3rd offense, criminal damage to property, possession of THC, and possession of drug paraphernalia. Prior to trial, Attorney Nero convinced the judge to “sever” (which means to break apart and have separate trials) the drug charges from the OWI/DUI charges, which were based only upon alleged alcohol impairment. The OWI/DUI charges went to trial first. It might sound unusual, but sometimes it’s not illegal to drive drunk. Wisconsin OWI/DUI laws only apply on roadways and “premises held open for public use.” This case involved driving on the lawn of a cabin at a campground. The client tried to drive away from the cabin and onto a road, but struck a grill and never made it off the lawn. Attempted drunk driving is not a crime in Wisconsin. The jury agreed and found the client NOT GUILTY of the OWI/DUI charges, allowing Attorney Nero to walk his client out of the courtroom a free person. Following the not guilty verdicts, the prosecutor dropped all remaining criminal charges as well. This saved the client from an immediate report to jail, lengthy license revocation, large fine, and other penalties.
County: St. Croix County
Not Guilty Verdict & Refusal Dismissed: OWI-3rd/PAC-3rd And Refusal
Hudson, Wisconsin, man charged with OWI-3rd/PAC-3rd and refusal. This client hired Attorney Adam Nero, of Nelson Defense Group, after beginning his case with another lawyer. This was an extremely challenging case, and the client wanted the security of knowing he was doing everything in his power to avoid the potentially career-ending charges against him. The refusal charges — which also would have ended the client’s career — were dismissed before trial after a contested hearing. The client became intoxicated at a local bar. The bartender was concerned about the client’s plan to drive away, and offered to call the client a cab. The client got into the cab, which came back into the parking lot 10 minutes later. The bartender claimed that he got out of the cab, and onto his motorcycle, so the bartender went outside and confronted him face-to-face, begging him not to drive. The bartender knew him by name because he was a regular customer and claimed to be standing right in front of his face. At trial, the defense was that the bartender mistook him for his friend who came back to get his motorcycle for him. After less than two hours of deliberations, the jury found the client NOT GUILTY of all charges, and he walked out of the courtroom a free person, rather than being required to report directly to jail. Some verdicts can only be described as miraculous. These were extremely challenging facts to work with.
County: St. Croix County
Not Guilty Verdict: OWI-4th/PAC-4th
A Minnesota woman charged with felony OWI-4th/PAC-4th. At the beginning of her case, this client was extremely scared of what could happen if she were convicted. Felony charges make life extremely difficult, and a new law in Wisconsin would have resulted in the permanent revocation of driving privileges. Attorney Adam P. Nero knew from the beginning that this case would need to go to trial. The police never saw his client driving. Granted, Attorney Nero could not dispute that she had driven, since her vehicle was found pulled off to the side of I-94 after running out of gas. The police found a small pile of empty beer bottles in the ditch next to her vehicle. The issue, then, was when she drank those beers. If she drank them before driving, then she was guilty. If she drank them after driving, she was not. With Attorney Nero’s guidance and advice, and with the help of an expert witness in the field of Addiction Psychiatry, this client made the brave and strategic decision to use her alcoholism as part of her defense. This arrest occurred on Mother’s Day. She was coming from her cabin in Barron County to pick up her son from the airport. As she was nearing the Minnesota state line, she realized she had left her phone behind at her cabin, which was now about one-and-a-half hours away. She was going to be very late and had no way of telling her son where she was. She decided to turn around and sped back toward her cabin. When she ran out of gas, after several hard-earned months of sobriety, that was the last straw. She had no way of calling for help. She broke down and opened one of the beers she bought for husband. One by one, she drank them down, added them to the pile next to the ditch, and waited for help to arrive. She took the stand, told her story to the jury and, after nine full hours of deliberations, was rewarded with NOT GUILTY verdicts on all charges.
County: St. Croix County
Not Guilty Verdict: Child Sex Offender Working With Children
Menomonie, Wisconsin, man charged with being a child sex offender working with children. To obtain a conviction, the State was required to prove that he primarily and directly worked with children under 16 years of age. However, records from his place of employment proved that he only did so about 24% of the time, meaning that he primarily did other things in the course of his job duties. The State refused to dismiss, so Nelson Defense Group took the case to jury trial. It took the jury less than 45 minutes to find the client not guilty.
County: Dunn County
Not Guilty Verdict: OWI-3rd
A Minnesota man charged with OWI-3rd/refusal in St. Croix County. When this client hired Attorney Adam P. Nero, the client had been represented by another lawyer and his case was set for a plea and sentencing hearing. But this client did not want to plead guilty. The State’s evidence was extremely weak. The client was sitting in his parked vehicle after bar time, did well on the field sobriety tests (although the police claimed that he failed), and the police never bothered to get a blood or breath test. Attorney Nero got on board, took the case to trial and won. The client walked out of the courtroom a free person.
County: St. Croix County
Not Guilty Verdict & Refusal Dismissed: OWI-3rd/Refusal
A Minnesota man charged with OWI-3rd/refusal in St. Croix County. On third and subsequent offenses, a person is required to go directly to jail if convicted. But this client wanted to plead not guilty because all he did was sleep behind the wheel of a running car after bar time. He did not drive anywhere, and while his behavior technically fit the definition of “operation” under Wisconsin law, Attorney P. Nero brought the case to trial after contacting his client’s friend, who testified that he started up the vehicle, not the client. The jury found the client not guilty, and he walked out of the courtroom a free person.
County: St. Croix County
Not Guilty Verdict: OWI-1st
Hayward, Wisconsin, man was charged with OWI/PAC-1st offense in Juneau County. This man had a good job where he was required to drive company cars to put food on the table for his family. But an OWI conviction would stop him from being able to do that going forward. He simply needed to avoid an OWI conviction, but the prosecutor was not willing to budge because his breath test result was almost one-and-a-half times the legal limit. Attorney Adam P. Nero knew that this case would need to have a jury trial. The evidence looked extremely damning, as it often does. A citizen witness called 911 to report that this driver was swerving heavily over a period of several miles, almost hitting guardrails on the side of the interstate and even taking the ditch on one occasion. However, Attorney Nero managed to limit the prosecution’s evidence, convinced the jury that the arresting officer was exaggerating what he observed, and that the breath test result simply could not be trusted, for a number of scientific and logical reasons. The jury took less than one hour to return verdicts of not guilty — making this Attorney Nero’s second consecutive jury trial victory. This is the most difficult type of verdict to achieve in an OWI case — one where the Defense must convince the jury either to disregard or disbelieve the blood or breath test result. Few Wisconsin attorneys can boast this type of verdict, and with this case, Attorney Nero did it twice in a row.
County: Juneau County
Not Guilty Verdict: OWI-1st
Rice Lake, Wisconsin, man was charged with operating while intoxicated (“OWI”) and operating with a prohibited alcohol concentration (“PAC”), both as first offenses. He was pulled over for speeding, performed field sobriety tests, and was arrested. Attorney Adam P. Nero argued to a Barron County jury that speeding is not indicative of intoxication by alcohol, that his client passed the field sobriety tests (which are designed for failure in any event), and that the breath test result — 0.12 on the Intoximeter breath machine — could not be trusted, for various scientific and commonsense reasons. The jury acquitted Attorney Nero’s client after less than 30 minutes of deliberations.
County: Barron County
Not Guilty Verdict: Boating While Intoxicated
A Minnesota man was charged with boating while intoxicated (“BWI”) after he was pulled over by the sheriff’s department on the Fourth of July. After Attorney Nero cross-examined the arresting officer on the specialized and uncommon seated field sobriety tests, as well as the lack of thoroughness in the investigation, the driver was found NOT GUILTY of BWI.
County: St. Croix County
Not Guilty Verdict: Battery
New Richmond, Wisconsin, woman was found NOT GUILTY by a jury of Domestic Battery.
County: St. Croix County
Not Guilty Verdict: First Degree Intentional Homicide
Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, man found NOT GUILTY by a jury of the charge of 1st Degree Intentional Homicide after Attorney Aaron A. Nelson successfully convinced the jury that the State’s star witness was lying.
County: Chippewa County
Not Guilty Verdict: 4th Degree Sexual Assault
UW-Stout student was found NOT GUILTY by a jury of 4th Degree Sexual Assault after the jury decided that the sexual contact was consensual.
County: Dunn County
Not Guilty Verdict: Sex Crime
Cable, Wisconsin, man charged with 2nd Sexual Assault, False Imprisonment, Misdemeanor Battery and Felony Bail Jumping was found NOT GUILTY by a jury of all charges after Attorney Aaron A. Nelson successfully argued their consensual sexual affair was not a crime.
County: Bayfield County
Not Guilty Verdict: Homicide
Dunn County man found NOT GUILTY by a jury of the charge 1st Degree Reckless Homicide after Attorney Aaron A. Nelson successfully argued that the man was acting in self-defense.
County: Dunn County
Not Guilty Verdict: Sex Crimes
Buffalo City, Wisconsin, man charged with three counts of 1st Degree Sexual Assault of a Child under 12 was found not guilty after a week-long jury trial. The jury deliberated less than one hour before agreeing with the Defense that the child was only a victim of a custody struggle and was manipulated by his mother, but that he was never sexually assaulted.
County: Buffalo County
Not Guilty Verdict: Drunk Driving
Glenwood City, Wisconsin, man was found NOT GUILTY by a jury of the charge of OWI-4th after a two-day jury trial.
County: St. Croix County
Not Guilty Verdict: Sex Crime
Hudson, Wisconsin, college student was charged with three counts of 2ndDegree Sexual Assault and one count of Battery. On day three of jury trial, the Judge dismissed one count of Sexual Assault because the State could not meet its burden. After four days of trial, the jurors took less than 30 minutes to find him not guilty of all charges.
County: Pierce County
Not Guilty Verdict: Drunk Driving
Illinois businessman charged with OWI-2nd was found not guilty by a jury after Attorney Aaron A. Nelson convinced the jury that the man was not driving while under the influence.
County: St. Croix County
Not Guilty Verdict: Homicide
Pierce County mother charged with three counts of felony Vehicular Homicide and one misdemeanor charge of Reckless Driving, found “not guilty” on all charges by a jury, after just two hours of deliberation.
County: Pierce County
Not Guilty Verdict: Homicide
A Minnesota man was found not guilty of Felony Murder (as a Party to a Crime) and not guilty of Attempted Armed Robbery and not guilty of Attempted Robbery after a four-day jury trial in Superior, Wisconsin. It took the jury less than two hours to agree with the Defense that our client did not aid or assist the individual who had shot a gun.
County: Douglas County
2015- Not Guilty Verdict: Drug Crime
New Richmond, Wisconsin, man charged with Possession with Intent to Deliver Methamphetamine (PTAC) was found not guilty by a jury after Attorney Aaron A. Nelson convinced the jury that the meth was possessed by a known and convicted drug dealer.
County: St. Croix County
2015- Not Guilty Verdict: Domestic
River Falls, Wisconsin, man charged with Child Abuse Recklessly Causing Harm was found not guilty by a jury after Attorney Aaron A. Nelson convinced the jury that the scientific evidence and testimony of the mother’s story was untrue.
County: Pierce County
2015- Not Guilty Verdict: Drunk Driving
Hudson, Wisconsin, man charged with OWI-2nd was found not guilty by a jury after Attorney Aaron A. Nelson convinced the jury that another person was driving the motor vehicle.
County: St. Croix County
2015- Not Guilty Verdict: Domestic
Hager City, Wisconsin, man charged with Strangulation and Suffocation was found not guilty at a jury trial after Attorney Aaron A. Nelson successfully convinced the jury that his client was innocent.
County: Pierce County
2014- Not Guilty Verdict: Sex Crime
Buffalo City, Wisconsin, man charged with multiple counts of Repeated Sexual Assault of Same Child was found not guilty after a week-long jury trial. The jury deliberated less than two hours before agreeing with the defense that the child was only a victim of a custody struggle and being manipulated by her mother, but that the child was not sexually assaulted.
County: Buffalo County
2014- Not Guilty Verdict: Homicide
Superior, Wisconsin, man found NOT GUILTY by a jury of the charge 1st Degree Intentional Homicide after Attorney Aaron A. Nelson successfully convinced the jury that one of the State’s prisoner witnesses was more likely to be the shooter than the accused.
County: Douglas County
2013- Not Guilty Verdict (Resisting/Obstructing)
Osceola, Wisconsin, man charged with Resisting/Obstructing an Officer was found not guilty in a trial to the Court.
County: Polk County
2012- Not Guilty Verdict (Sex Crime)
Stockholm, Wisconsin, woman charged with Lewd and Lascivious Behavior was found NOT GUILTY by a Pepin County jury.
County: Pepin County
2012- Not Guilty Verdict (DNR)
Turtle Lake, Wisconsin, farmer charged with two misdemeanors after killing a bear to protect his livestock and property was found NOT GUILTY by a Polk County jury.
County: Polk County
2012- Not Guilty Verdict (Theft)
Woodville, Wisconsin, Walmart employee charged with theft after an alleged mistake in the handling a return of a gift card was found NOT GUILTY by a Hudson Municipal Court Judge. (City of Hudson)
County: St. Croix County
2012- Not Guilty Verdict (Sex Crime)
Turtle Lake, Wisconsin, man had all charges completely dismissed after it was proven that the alleged victim lied to Investigators. After the charges were dismissed, the CCAP record was expunged, based upon client’s actual innocence. Attorney Aaron Nelson worked fast to obtain surveillance and GPS information which helped prove our client’s innocence.
County: Polk County
2011- Not Guilty Verdict (Drunk Driving)
Minnesota man charged with OWI is found NOT GUILTY at trial in Municipal Court. (Village of Spooner)
County: Washburn County
2011- Not Guilty Verdict (Drunk Driving)
Minnesota man charged with criminal OWI-1st with Child under the age of 16 in the vehicle is found NOT GUILTY by a St. Croix County jury.
County: St. Croix County
2010- Not Guilty Verdict (Bail Jumping)
A River Falls, Wisconsin, man charged with Bail Jumping for allegedly yelling profanity in downtown River Falls at the alleged victim of a River Falls Burglary was found NOT GUILTY in trial to Court in Pierce County.
County: Pierce County
2010- Not Guilty Verdict (Theft)
River Falls, Wisconsin, man charged with Burglarizing a River Falls home after he was found in possession of stolen property was found NOT GUILTY by jury in Pierce County.
County: Pierce County
2010- Not Guilty Verdict (Drunk Driving)
Minnesota man charged with Operating a Motor Vehicle While Under the Influence of a Controlled Substance in Siren, Wisconsin, was found NOT GUILTY at trial.
County: Burnett County
2010- Not Guilty Verdict (Misconduct of Public Employee)
Beldenville, Wisconsin, man charged with felony Misconduct of Public Employee was found NOT GUILTY by a jury in Pierce County.
County: Pierce County
2009- Not Guilty Verdict (Theft)
Minnesota man charged with Felony Theft for allegedly stealing money while performing duties as Power of Attorney was found NOT GUILTY by jury in St. Croix County.
County: St. Croix County
2009- Not Guilty Verdict (DNR)
Beldenville, Wisconsin, man was charged with Failure to Attach Ear Tag to Deer Carcass stemming from an incident outside Ellsworth where client helped a friend place a deer his friend killed into the back of his truck. Client was found NOT GUILTY by a jury in Pierce County.
County: Pierce County
2009- Not Guilty Verdict (Drug Crime)
Cochrane, Wisconsin, man charged with possession of THC (Marijuana) stemming from an incident in Alma, WI wherein client was in a vehicle with four other people and allegedly observed by a police officer using a marijuana pipe was found NOT GUILTY by jury in Buffalo County.
County: Buffalo County
2009- Not Guilty Verdict (Homicide)
Boyceville, Wisconsin, man was charged with Vehicular Homicide for allegedly being the driver involved in a one car accident outside of Menomonie in which a person in the car was killed. Client was found NOT GUILTY by a jury in Dunn County.
County: Dunn County
2007- Not Guilty Verdict (Homicide)
Star Prairie, Wisconsin, man was charged with stabbing his girlfriend to death in an incident near the Apple River in Somerset, but was found NOT GUILTY of First Degree Intentional Homicide after Attorney Nelson successfully argued he was acting in self-defense. However, despite his acting in self-defense, the jury determined the client’s beliefs were unreasonable and he was found guilty of Second Degree Homicide.
County: St. Croix County
2006- Not Guilty Verdict (Drug Crime)
Minnesota woman charged with Possession with Intent to Deliver Marijuana based on 26 pounds of marijuana found in her car while driving on Interstate 94 near Hudson was found NOT GUILTY at trial.
County: St. Croix County
2005- Not Guilty Verdict (Sex Crime)
Minnesota woman therapist charged with Sexual Assault of one of her patients in Ellsworth, Wisconsin, found NOT GUILTY at trial.
County: Pierce County
2003- Not Guilty Verdict (Battery)
River Falls, Wisconsin, mayor charged with multiple counts of felony Substantial Battery for his use of a baseball bat in a back-alley fight in River Falls, Wisconsin, was found NOT GUILTY by jury in self-defense case.
County: Pierce County
2000- Not Guilty Verdict (Child Abuse)
Hudson, Wisconsin, male babysitter charged with multiple counts of felony Child Abuse in Roberts, Wisconsin, was found NOT GUILTY by jury.
County: St. Croix County
2000- Not Guilty Verdict (Battery)
River Falls, Wisconsin, man charged with Domestic Abuse/Violence in Hudson was found NOT GUILTY by jury.
County: St. Croix County
1999- Not Guilty Verdict (Battery)
New Richmond, Wisconsin, man charged with Domestic Abuse/Violence was found NOT GUILTY in jury trial.
County: St. Croix County
1999- Not Guilty Verdict (Sex Crime)
Mondovi, Wisconsin, mother charged with 12 counts of Child Sexual Assault to children in Menomonie was found NOT GUILTY by jury after Attorney Aaron A. Nelson successfully presented a battered women/coercion defense.
County: Dunn County
1998- Not Guilty Verdict (Injury/Death by giving Alcohol to Minor)
Menomonie, Wisconsin, man charged with being responsible for the death of an Ellsworth Teenager for allegedly selling her beer. Client was found NOT GUILTY by a jury.
County: Pierce County
1998- Not Guilty Verdict (Sex Crime)
Maiden Rock, Wisconsin, man charged with Child Sexual Assault to his daughter found NOT GUILTY in trial.
County: Pierce County
1997- Not Guilty Verdict (Firearm)
Clayton, Wisconsin, woman charged with pointing a firearm at man outside her cabin in Balsam Lake was found NOT GUILTY by a jury.
County: Polk County
1997- Not Guilty Verdict (Drunk Driving)
New Richmond, Wisconsin, man charged with Drunk Driving in Ellsworth, Wisconsin, was found NOT GUILTY by a jury.
County: Pierce County