THE STANGL LAW BLOG

When a person hears the word "felony," many different ideas come to mind, and often the assumption is that they have committed, or have been accused of, a very severe crime.

But in Wisconsin, the state legislature has classified nine different classes of felonies, from Class A, the most serious, to class I, which is the least serious.

Depending on what a defendant is convicted of, sentencing for these crimes can be as severe as life imprisonment for a Class A felony to a fine of up to $10,000 for a class I felony and/or up to 3 1/2 years in prison.

Within the broad category of felonies, crimes are further divided into a series of nine classes in order of severity, from A, the most severe, through I.

Class D felonies are moderately severe charges, involving penalties such as prison time and heavy fines.

Read More: Wisconsin Felony Classes: A Quick Guide

In Wisconsin, felonies are divided into nine different classes, from Class A, the most serious, to class I.

Here, we'll focus on Class F felonies in Wisconsin. Specifically, we'll explain what a Class F felony is, common examples of Class F felony charges in Wisconsin, the possible penalties for Class F felonies in Wisconsin, and possible defenses for those charges.

What is a Class E Felony in Wisconsin?

Class E felonies are punishable by up to 15 years in state prison, a maximum fine of $50,000, or both (Wis. Stat. § 939.50.)

As with other felonies, a prior record of felonies or misdemeanors can increase your prison sentence.

What Is the Difference Between a Felony and a Misdemeanor?

According to Wisconsin law, a felony is a crime whose punishment could potentially result in a jail term of one year or longer. Crimes that fall within this category are assigned sentences within the Wisconsin State Prison System rather than in a county jail.

A misdemeanor is any crime not punishable by imprisonment in the Wisconsin State Prison System.

Read more about misdemeanors in Wisconsin »

After this initial classification, offenses are broken down into a number of separate categories based on the nature of the crime itself.

Wisconsin Felony Classes

Within the broad category of felonies, crimes are further divided into a series of nine classes delineated by alphabetical titles, A through I.

Class E felonies are moderately severe charges, involving penalties such as prison time and heavy fines.

 
As of 2018, a 4th OWI/DUI offense in Wisconsin is classified as an automatic class H felony.

Here's how OWIs are classified in Wisconsin:

• A 1st offense OWI: Civil offense
• A 2nd offense OWI: Misdemeanor
• A 3rd offense OWI: Misdemeanor
• A 4th offense OWI and above: felony

A conviction can bring severe penalties:

• 60 days to 6 years in jail
• Up to $10,000 in fines
• 2-3 years driver’s license revocation 
• 1-3 years required ignition interlock device in vehicle
• Absolute sobriety required for occupational license
• Travel ban to Canada and problems traveling within the EU
• Other indirect penalties can include surcharges, an alcohol assessment, high-risk insurance requirements, etc.

This means it's absolutely imperative to contact an experienced Wisconsin OWI attorney as soon as possible to avoid conviction and face serious penalties (described below).

While cars and trucks often receive the spotlight when it comes to drunk driving, Wisconsin’s OWI laws encompass all motor vehicles including snowmobiles, ATVs, and other recreational vehicles less commonly found on traditional roadways.

Particularly relevant during the winter season, those who enjoy snowmobiling should have a good understanding of the state laws pertaining to operating recreational vehicles under the influence of alcohol.

Disorderly conduct in Wisconsin is one of the most often charged crimes in the entire state, classified as a Class B misdemeanor punishable by a maximum penalty of 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.

Whether you’re in a domestic situation or not, altercations stemming from arguments, disagreements, or any other dispute is an easy charge to bring against someone, and most often these charges are easy to prove. 

The exact description of disorderly conduct in Wisconsin is defined in §947.01 (1) Wis. Stats. as follows:

“Whoever, in a public or private place, engages in violent, abusive, indecent, profane, boisterous, unreasonably loud or otherwise disorderly conduct under circumstances in which the conduct tends to cause or provoke a disturbance is guilty of a Class B misdemeanor.”

Unlike most first offense OWI violations, which are civil penalties, OWI with a minor passenger (someone under the age of 16) elevates the case to a criminal charge.

The penalties of a first offense OWI with a minor passenger are significantly more severe: double the penalties you would normally receive for the offense without a minor in the vehicle. In some cases, certain penalties are more than doubled.

The process of appealing a criminal conviction in Wisconsin can be complicated, especially for those who haven’t been through it before. One missed step or overlooked detail can spell disaster for your chances of getting a case heard before an appellate court.

If you’re considering appealing a criminal conviction in Wisconsin, it’s critical to understand that an experienced Wisconsin appeals attorney is essential to your chances of being successful. Experienced attorneys have been through the process many times before and can identify and articulate the errors that occurred during your trial––combining this direct experience with the skills needed to craft a compelling brief. 

This guide offers a simple, straightforward introduction to the appeals process, including the four main steps involved in filing an appeal.

If you are pulled over for suspicion of driving under the influence in Wisconsin, at some point the police will likely ask you to step out of your car in order to take part in testing used with the intention of confirming the officer's suspicion that you are intoxicated due to drug use or alcohol consumption.

You probably already have some awareness of these roadside tests used by police to test for drunk driving, whether in movies or real life. The official term for these tests is, field sobriety tests (FSTs).

While you may be asked to perform any number or combination of FSTs, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recognizes three tests as standardized field sobriety tests. These tests include: the horizontal gaze nystagmus test or HGN, the walk-and-turn test (WAT) and the one-leg stand test (OLS).