Attorney Stangl has recently won four Chippewa County OWI-PAC cases in a row.
Three of these cases were felony drunk driving cases. In two of the three cases, his clients were not convicted of felony drunk driving, thus avoiding not only a felony conviction but potential imprisonment in the Wisconsin State Prison system.
Read summaries of each of these victories below as well as what to do if you find yourself or a loved one facing OWI/PAC charges in Wisconsin.
Truck drivers and other professional drivers operating with a commercial driver's license, or CDL, are held to a stricter standard under Wisconsin's drunk driving laws.
In addition, drunk driving convictions can create unique challenges for professional drivers who depend upon driving for their livelihood.
If you have a commercial driver license or CDL, it is important for you to understand the special requirements of your CDL in respect to Wisconsin law's regarding operating under the influence of an intoxicant or OWI.
This article will explain special circumstances and exceptions to well-known OWI protocols, such as field sobriety testing, which you must be aware of if you are pulled over for suspicion of driving under the influence (DUI) in Wisconsin.
In 2016, the consequences for 4th offense OWI (and beyond) in Wisconsin became an even more serious matter for repeat offenders under Wisconsin law with the passage of Senate Bill 455, which Governor Scott Walker signed into law on April 25, 2016.
Since the adoption of the new law, any 4th OWI offense in Wisconsin is now considered an automatic Class H felony—regardless of the time period between charges. Previously, this was considered a misdemeanor, unless occurring within 5 years of the third OWI offense.
As a result of the adoption of Senate Bill 455 into law, the penalties for repeat OWI convictions (4th offense OWI and beyond) in Wisconsin have become even more severe. In addition to loss of license, having an ignition interlock device (IID) installed in your vehicle and other requirements, you will now face greater fines and longer prison terms if you are convicted of 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th OWI or any subsequent OWI charges in Wisconsin.
Attorney Patrick Stangl sets himself apart from other Wisconsin OWI attorneys in many ways, but one in particular is unique to him: He's trained in administering and evaluating Field Sobriety Tests (FSTs) just like law enforcement officers.
This gives attorney Stangl incredibly deep insight into how these tests are designed, what their weaknesses are, and where law enforcement commonly make mistakes when administering them.
If you've ever been pulled over on suspicion of drunk driving in Wisconsin, you've likely already participated in one or more field sobriety tests or FSTs.
Don't be fooled by what police might say when telling you what the test is for. These tests are designed with the intention of identifying sufficient reason or probable cause to arrest you on suspicion of driving under the influence –– nothing more.
Wisconsin's DUI laws (or OWI for "operating while intoxicated" as it's more commonly referred to in Wisconsin) can be complicated and confusing, especially under the stress of a recent charge.
To make these laws simple and straightforward, we've broken down the common DUI laws in Wisconsin in plain language below, along with the potential penalties associated with them.
Wisconsin's OWI laws can seem complex and confusing, especially to someone facing charges and looking for a clear and simple guide to the penalties they face and actions they can take to defend themselves.
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.
