Officials state that extra money won’t necessarily be spent on the additional enforcement but that other matters may be placed on a “back burner” so officers can make a concentrated effort at catching drunk drivers. Last year 238 people were killed in drunken driving accidents in the state and law enforcement would like to see that number lowered.

As of July 1 penalties for OWI got a little more severe. This is the first OWI campaign since the law changes took place, requiring more jail time on all OWIs and felony charges for a fourth or greater offense.

Also new on the books is the ignition interlock requirements for repeat offenders. An ignition interlock device is designed to prevent future drunk driving by requiring you to take a breath test before your car will start. Known for occasional false positives, these machines are being embraced across the country though their effectiveness is largely questioned.

It’s not unusual to have OWI campaigns like this one over holidays. Labor day is one of those that drinking is fairly common—a fact that police are not ignorant of. For this reason, it’s common for them to be hypersensitive about any driving behavior that could be construed as impaired when choosing who to pull over.

Typically a OWI charge is based on several pieces of evidence. Those may include your appearance, your driving, the scent of alcohol on your breath, your inability to pass a field sobriety test, or a failed breath test. One of these factors may not be enough to get a conviction. But when used together they can create a solid case against you.

This doesn’t mean that an OWI case with a failed breath test can’t be overcome—It can. However, a consultation with a defense attorney is necessary to determine just how to go about challenging the evidence against you to get the best result.

If you are facing OWI charges and aren’t sure what to do next—contact me. I will give you some valuable free legal advice and we can discuss the different options available to you.

According to the Wisconsin State Journal, Governor Jim Doyle says of Rep. Wood: “When you’re just simply not providing the basic representation, you’ve got to acknowledge that and step aside.”

Wood recently had his second arrest in only a month when he was arrested for driving erratically in Tomah and falling down during a sobriety test. It doesn’t seem that alcohol is Wood’s vice of choice, however, as he has admitted to possibly misusing prescriptions for both anti-depressants, and anti-anxiety medications.

Under Wisconsin’s OWI laws, you can be charged for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, prescriptions drugs are included.

What makes Wood’s case different from others is he is an elected official, appointed to represent the people of the state. For this reason, the State Assembly Speaker and the Minority Leader are seeking to appoint an ethics committee to determine if Wood should be expelled from his position.

Despite the differences between Wood’s case and cases of regular, non-governmental people, OWI convictions can have lasting, detrimental effects on your future and your employment.

A first time OWI conviction can lead to fines, an alcohol assessment and the loss of your driver’s license. As you get several convictions under your belt, however, the penalties increase severely.

Your second OWI charge can lead to a jail sentence of 5 days to 6 months. If you are charged with a 5^th offense OWI, however, you will face up to 6 years in prison. With every conviction, you will face larger fines and extended license suspensions.

If you are facing charges of OWI in Wisconsin, I may be able to help. I offer a free consultation on OWI cases, so call me today.

According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Bradley J. Arnold was in court earlier this week to answer to charges of his second DUI. Court officials smelled alcohol on the Hartland man’s breath and the judge ordered a breathalyzer.

Arnold was shown to have a blood alcohol level of .34, more than four times the legal limit when driving. The 50 year old casually explained that it wouldn’t be a problem because he didn’t have to drive home since his parents were present in the courtroom. He stated that he had consumed a six pack the night before and this was why he was legally intoxicated.

The judge ordered Arnold be held on $1,000 bail for the DUI charge. He made bail later that day and was released.

Showing up to court drunk probably doesn’t improve Arnold’s chances of a favorable outcome on his OWI charge, but he will have to wait for a later date to see how that case pans out.

First time OWI charges are serious enough, carrying potential fines, license suspension, and alcohol evaluation. However, when you have been convicted of OWI before and are going in front of the judge again, your penalties are elevated.

A second offense OWI can lead to all of those penalties listed above in addition to jail time and an ignition interlock device when your license is reinstated.

With an experienced defense attorney on your side, you may be able to at the very least, get an occupational license that allows you to get to and from work. After looking over your case I can give you a better idea of the right approach you should take.

Call me for a consultation on your pending OWI case today. We can discuss the best and worst case scenarios and I may even be able to give you some free legal advice.

Schmidt states in this TMJ4 report that he gave the other driver the “benefit of the doubt” when he first noticed the swerving. When the erratic driving continued, however, he called 911 to report the possibly drunk driver. He stayed on the phone with dispatch, following the swerving SUV to assist law enforcement in finding the vehicle.

When the Highlander was eventually pulled over, it was found to be none other than off duty Milwaukee County Sherriff’s Deputy Scott Kuhtz. Deputy Kuhtz was behind the wheel and in possession of his duty weapon as well.

Kuhtz was required to perform field sobriety tests, which he failed. He now faces a few charges: OWI and Going Armed While Under the Influence. Kuhtz has been with the department for 19 years but is now on suspension pending investigation.

This story goes to show that no one is above the law and people from all backgrounds get charged with DUI. The consequences of the OWI depend on a variety of factors including, most importantly, if you have faced charges like this before

A first time OWI is typically a simple forfeiture or a fine. However, as you repeatedly get charged with the offense, the penalties grow and grow. Your second offense could land you jail time, for instance.

Knowing the ins and outs of DUI charges is my job as your DUI defense attorney. Together we will look at the evidence against you and formulate the best defense strategy. Call me today so we can get started on your case.

We all make mistakes, sometimes repeatedly and this goes to show that even prominent public officials can make mistakes in trying to skirt Wisconsin’s drunk driving laws. Sometimes in takes people several times before they learn a lesson.

On this occasion, Workman’s blood alcohol level registered at .11 percent on one of two breath tests. In Wisconsin, the legal limit is .08 percent. Police say that Workman stated he had just had dinner with his wife before getting pulled over.

Laws in Wisconsin are unique in that a first offense OWI and even a second offense can be treated as a first offense when it comes to penalties. However, once you are charged with third offense DUI, those second chances are over.

A 3^rd offense OWI/DUI conviction could land Workman with fines from $600 to $2,000 as well as jail time up to one year and a driver’s license suspension of 2 to 3 years. That’s a serious penalty for anyone.

Unlike regular folk, Alderman Workman gets his DUI story printed in the news and recopied all over the country. The shame and stress are about the same for anyone charged with DUI. An experienced and aggressive criminal defense and a lesson learned will benefit him and anyone else facing charges like these in Wisconsin criminal courts.

The idea is being treated cautionly by most Wisconsn legislators, but there is a real likelyhood of tougher OWI on a snowmobile laws as a result.

The initiative is a product of the high incidence of alcohol related snowmobile deaths recorded in the state. In Wisconsin, the death rate on snowmobiles is 3 times greater than than in neighboring Minnesota and Michigan. The speculation is that this statistic is related to Wisconsin’s status as the state with the highest drunk driving rates in the nation, and stricter enforcement of snowmobile operation laws and restrictions.

However, is it fair to attach driver’s license suspension penalties for operating a snowmobile under the influence? Most people think that option would take punishment too far.

But the climate for tougher OWI laws in Madison is ripe, and most expect a wide variety of proposals and laws ultimately to be enacted in the new legislative session next year.

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If you are charged with a crime in Wisconsin such as drunk driving/OWI, please contact me for a consultation on the charges you are facing.

My initial advice is free, with no further obligation.

Governor Jim Doyle has proposed taking another look at allowing OWI roadblocks, aka field sobriety checkpoints. Wisconsin is one of 12 states that does not allow these roadblocks, where police stop all drivers to confirm that they haven’t been drinking or aren’t impaired. These checkpoints have always been controversal, since critics argue it is unconstitutional to stop people and investigate them without any specific reason or suspicion of wrongdoing.

The second proposal is for an enhancement to Wisconsin’s use of ignition interlock devices. An IID prevents a car from starting if the driver doesn’t blow an alcohol free breath sample into this “mobile breathalytzerw”.  Currently, these systems are required to be installed in the vehicle of anyone who has 2 convictions for OWI.

One Wisconsin legislator is proposing that that requirement be ammended to also include anyone with a single OWI conviction if he or she registered a .16% BAC on a breath test, or twice the legal limit of .08%.

These high BAC interlock requirements are becoming more common in other states, and are supported by even the American Beverage Institute, a restaurant and bar industry trade group that has opposed 1st offense “low BAC” interlock laws.

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If you are charged with a drunk driving (OWI) offense in Wisconsin, or any other criminal charge, contact me for a free legal case evaluation. I’ll let you know what I can do to help you protect your rights in court.

One recent post lays our the convictions for drunk driving (OWI) statewide since 1989, including a breakdown of multiple convictions. As it turns out, nearly 500,000 individuals have had one or more Wisconsin drunk driving conviction in that time.

That is a staggering figure. With a state population of 5.5 million, that means that nearly 9 % of the population of Wisconsin has had a drunk driving conviction in that time. Some of those convictions may have been from out of state residents, but there also could be out of state convictions for Wisconsin residents not counted in that mix.

If those stats are true, then most everyone in the state has a friend, neighbor, or co-working with an drunk driving conviction. And that also doesn’t include anyone who may have been arrested, but not convicted.

So Wisconsin resident’s alcohol use and the laws that seek to prevent the negative societal affects of underage drinking, binge drinking, and drunk driving is a fascinating and timely topic. Kudos to the Journal Sentinel for tackling it. Hopefully the continuing coverage and analysis will be thoughtful and practical. We’ll be reading.

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If you are facing criminal or drunk driving (OWI) charge in Wisconsin, contact my law office for a free legal consultation.

An ignition interlock device is a “rolling breathalyzer” attached to your car’s ignition. You must blow into it, and test as alcohol free for it to allow your car to start. Under Wisconsin OWI laws, an ignition interlock breath alcohol device is usually required after a 2nd offense OWI conviction as a condition of license reinstatement.

Experts familiar with the interlock technology believe the method he used would not be successful on older interlock models. The new systems test for breath temperature and other factors to establish that it is a person’s breath sample. Proposed enhancements to the IIDs also include a digital camera storing a picture of the test being performed, to insure that it is the driver who is using the device.

The defendent is this case is now charged with a 6th offense felony OWI, as well as tampering with the interlock device, which is a separate misdemeanor criminal offense.

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If you are charged with an OWI in Wisconsin, or any other criminal charge, please contact me for a free legal case evaluation on the charges against you. I’ll give you some helpful advice, and let you know exactly what I think I can do to help, with no further obligation.