As of 2018, a 4th DUI offense in Wisconsin is classified as an automatic class H felony.
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).
If you've ever been pulled over for suspicion of drunk driving in Wisconsin, you're likely already familiar with a breathalyzer test.
There are two times law enforcement is likely to ask you to submit to a breathalyzer or breath test to try to establish whether or not you might be intoxicated: during an OWI traffic stop and after an OWI arrest.
This article will address both of these circumstances when the request or option to take the breathalyzer test might arise and answer whether or not you are allowed refusal of breathalyzer testing under Wisconsin's breathalyzer laws.
This guide offers important sentencing guidelines for Operating While Intoxicated (OWI) citations issued on or after January 1, 2017 in Wisconsin's Fifth Judicial District. This includes the city of Madison and Dane County as well as Rock, Green, and Lafayette counties.
This information is up-to-date at the time of this posting, but subsequent updates may have been made since then or may be made in the future.
Wisconsin, along with every other state, has strict laws against reckless driving––an offense that occurs when a motorist operate a vehicle in such a way that poses a risk of injury to others.
Reckless driving is different than many other Wisconsin traffic laws as each offense depends in large part on the specific circumstances of each individual case.
This article will take a closer look at what constitutes reckless driving, explore contributing factors, present penalties for reckless driving in Wisconsin and offer tips on where to start if you or a loved one have been charged with this criminal offense.
Avoiding a conviction for operating while intoxicated (OWI) in Wisconsin requires drivers understand the state's drunk driving laws.
Just as many motorists don't realize a typical drunk driving arrest results in at least two different charges––OWI and PAC––many others don't realize there are different legal limits.
Most drivers assume the .08 legal limit applies to everyone in Wisconsin, but depending on your age, type of drivers license, and prior OWI convictions, you may face a much lower BAC limit.
In addition to being nationally recognized for excellence in criminal defense, Attorney Patrick Stangl was recently recognized among the top OWI defense attorneys in the Madison, Wisconsin area by the business listing service Three Best Rated®.
On March 28th, 2018, Gov. Scott Walker signed SB 135 into law, which permanently revokes the driver's licenses of individuals convicted of 4 or more drunk driving-related offenses.
Under the new law, If a person is convicted of 4 or more drunk-driving related offenses OR after a second OWI in combination with two other serious OWI-related offenses such as injury by intoxicated use of a vehicle or second-degree reckless homicide involving a vehicle, the Department of Transportation (DOT) must permanently revoke that individual's driver's license.
The fourth offense must happen with 15 years of the previous conviction.
Those who lose their licenses and are caught driving will face a $2,500 fine, and up to a year in jail.
While Attorney Stangl typically uses his blog to inform and educate those who may find themselves dealing with legal trouble, he also finds it important to use this opportunity to tell the real-life stories of the clients he's helped defend.
With this in mind, Attorney Stangl has highlighted five recent OWI-related success stories below. Let these serve as examples of how the advice Attorney Stangl typically offers through his blog translates into action that helps protect his clients.
Under a bill that awaits Gov. Scott Walker's signature, those convicted of 4 or more OWI-related offenses will lose their license for life.
The bill authored by State Sen. Van Wanggaard (R-Racine) and State Rep. John Spiros (R-Marshfield) passed the senate in Nov. 2017 on a unanimous vote and passed the Assembly easier this month.
Many people––probably most––assume they can only be charged with drunk driving or operating while intoxicated (OWI), if they're above the .08 percent blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit.
This is not true.
Those same people can find themselves unpleasantly surprised when they're arrested and charged after breathalyzer tests show they're below the legal limit.
The truth is, many people are simply unaware of the details of Wisconsin's OWI laws and what "driving under the influence" really means.
Here's a brief summary to help you understand these laws more accurately.
