Since the 1970s, Americans have been attempting to fight what has been dubbed the infamous “War on Drugs” by the Nixon administration. To combat what was seen as the “greatest threat to American society,” many measures were taken in an effort to punish drug users, such as creating mandatory minimum sentencing laws for use and possession, among others. Nearly 50 years later, the country is just now starting to implement more programs and other initiatives aimed at actually rehabilitating drug users and offenders, rather than simply throwing them in jail. Not every state offers alternative sentencing programs, but thankfully the state of Wisconsin offers various diversion, deferred prosecution, and other alternative sentencing programs for those charged with and convicted of drug crimes.

What Is the Treatment Alternative and Diversion (TAD) Program?

In Wisconsin, the program that handles all criminal diversions when it comes to drug crimes is called the Treatment Alternative and Diversion (TAD) program. TAD funds these programs, which allow non-violent adult offenders whose substance abuse was a contributing factor to their criminal activity, to receive treatment for their drug problem in exchange for their criminal charges being lessened or dropped altogether, depending on the stage of the process they are in. The type of diversion program used, pre-trial versus post-conviction, depends on the type of deal that is worked out between the defense attorney and the state prosecutor. 

Drug possession charges are difficult for some defendants to face because they force them to look at what they've been doing with their lives. At this point, some may realize that their addiction must be addressed. Unfortunately, this doesn't mean that the court is going to just drop the charges.

There is a chance that you might be able to get help for your addiction even though you are facing criminal charges. Drug court is one option that enables you to get help for your addiction while still remaining accountable to the court. If you find that you need inpatient treatment, be sure that you work with the court so that you don't end up missing hearings due to being in a treatment facility.

A 38-year-old man from Minneapolis has been arrested and accused of selling methamphetamine throughout Sawyer County. The arrest came as a part of a joint investigation by the Sawyer County Sheriff's Department and other law enforcement agencies.

The arrest of the man happened on a recent Friday evening in Radisson after authorities carried out a traffic stop. The sheriff's department alleges that they found the man to be in possession of 86.8 grams of meth, $500 in cash and a digital scale. Authorities say that they found all of these items in the man's vehicle. Authorities also arrested a 28-year-old woman who was riding in the vehicle with the man at the time of the traffic stop.

This recent arrest and investigation came in the wake of a previous arrest of the same man in September. According to police, they allegedly found the man in possession of drug paraphernalia in the previous incident and decided to conduct a deeper investigation. Later, police learned that the man was going to return to Sawyer County with methamphetamine, so they prepared to intercept the suspect, which led to the arrest.

The question of marijuana is one of the hot topics across the country, and Wisconsin isn't an exception. In fact, Eau Claire recently set a $1 fine for marijuana possession in the city. The city council members there hope to send a message to lawmakers that marijuana isn't worth the priority status it has been given.

Prior to passing the law, the fines for possession ranged from $100 to $500. The new $1 fine is only applicable to first-time offenders who have 25 grams or less. They will still have to pay court fees, so the total will be $138 for a person who is arrested there for their first time facing this crime.

Despite the push from some cities and counties, marijuana for recreational use remains illegal in this state. Possession of marijuana is punished as a misdemeanor for a first offense. It carries a fine of up to $1,000 and up to six months in jail. Offenses after the first one are charged as felonies.

Whether a defendant was growing marijuana in the basement or maintaining a chemical lab to manufacture designer drugs, the charge of drug manufacturing relates to the creation of illicit drugs. Some of the most common drugs that people are accused of manufacturing are methamphetamine, marijuana and ecstasy.

The crime of drug manufacturing does not have to involve the complete manufacturing process. An individual could be involved in only one small part of the illicit drug creation process, and a court could still construe the action to be "drug manufacturing." For example, individuals who knowingly sell drug manufacturing equipment, precursor chemicals or only make an offer to manufacture and produce controlled substances could be convicted of this crime.

Usually, drug manufacturing is a felony-level offense, which means that those who are convicted could face high fines, prison time and probation. If the drug manufacturing activities happen close to a playground or school, these punishments could be more severe in certain cases.