With temperatures dropping and snow beginning to fall, people across the country are getting their families and homes ready for the upcoming winter holidays. For many people, celebrating holidays often means going to social events where alcohol is present, but this can spell trouble for some. Drinking and driving is extremely dangerous and can even cause harm or death to others if you do not drink responsibly. This is why the state of Wisconsin, as well as all of the other 49 states,  have laws against consuming alcohol and then operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated (OWI). The holiday season is the most stressful time of year to be dealing with a drunk driving charge, so it is important that you avoid an arrest and criminal charge if you have been pulled over for OWI. 

Tips to Avoid an OWI Conviction in Wisconsin

Many people travel by car to visit family and friends over the Christmas holiday season and combined with increased alcohol use, this can (and has been shown to) produce a deadly situation. According to the National Safety Council (NSC), only about 29 percent of all traffic deaths typically involve alcohol, but during the Christmas Day period, approximately 37 percent of all traffic deaths can be attributed to alcohol involvement. When a death is involved in an OWI charge, consequences can become extremely serious, so avoiding an arrest is the best strategy to use. Here are a few tips if you are faced with this type of situation: 

One of the most stressful events that many people experience in their lifetimes is a divorce. Unfortunately, divorces are also fairly common in the United States. According to the latest divorce data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the divorce rate was at 2.9 in 2018, meaning for every 1,000 married individuals, there were 2.9 divorce cases. Considered by some to be nearly as upsetting as grieving the loss of a loved one, getting a divorce can encompass and affect nearly every area of your life, from your living situation to how much time you spend with your children. Getting a divorce can be a difficult and stressful adjustment to make, but it is important that you take steps to try to keep the stress level of your divorce as low as possible.

Allow Yourself to Grieve Your Divorce

Many people feel a flood of emotions during their divorce, ranging from confusion to sadness, to anger and frustration. You should realize that all of these feelings are normal during and after a divorce, even if you feel grief. It is normal to grieve the loss of your marriage because it was a very large and important part of your life for a long time, even if it was not necessarily a good marriage.

When you are arrested for a crime, there are only two ways you can hope to get out any time soon: by having the charges against you dropped or by being able to post bail or have someone else post bail for you. Bail is a crucial part of criminal cases because it often means the difference between spending months or years in jail awaiting trial and spending that time living at home and continuing to work. No two bail determinations are the same and there is no guarantee that you will even be granted bail during your trial. A Wisconsin criminal defense attorney with knowledge of the bail system can advocate on your behalf for your release.

What Is Bail?

The idea of bail is not a novel one. In nearly all state and local governments, there is some type of system for releasing certain individuals who have been arrested and charged with committing crimes. The purpose of bail is to ensure the defendant returns to court at the times that are required of them and works by requiring something to be offered up in collateral. The defendant or a close friend or relative of the defendant must pay a specified monetary amount before the defendant is released. If the defendant does not appear in court, the money is forfeited. If the defendant does appear in court, most of the money is typically returned. 

Does Everyone Get Bail?

Bail is not a guaranteed benefit of the criminal justice system in Wisconsin or anywhere in the Country, for that matter. Unfortunately, there are many situations in which defendants are not eligible for bail or that the judge does not grant them bail. Wisconsin law states that defendants charged with certain crimes are not eligible for bail. These crimes include:

There are many reasons why a person would want to move after his or her divorce is finalized. In many cases, people move because they want to be closer to family members, to be closer to a job, or just to get a fresh start. Whatever the reason may be, it is important to understand that Wisconsin parents cannot just move and take their children with them, even if they have been awarded primary custody of their kids. Wisconsin laws have a set procedure that parents must follow if they wish to move with their children and those laws must be followed, otherwise, they could end up facing consequences.

Filing a Motion for Relocation

In the state of Wisconsin, all parents who wish to move 100 miles or more away from the child’s other parent must also file a notice with the court. This notice should contain the following information:

Homicide is one of the most serious and violent crimes with which you can be charged, especially if you are facing intentional homicide charges. In the state of Wisconsin, first-degree intentional homicide can result in a mandatory life prison sentence, while attempted first-degree homicide could carry a prison sentence that lasts for decades. This is what a North Dakota man is facing after he was apprehended recently in connection with the shootings of two Wisconsin law enforcement officers.  

Man Wanted for Attempted Homicide in North Dakota, Shoots Cops in Wisconsin

A manhunt was underway in early November in Waukesha County as police searched for a 23-year-old North Dakota man wanted for shooting two Wisconsin police officers. The incident occurred after two officers responded to a call about a car crash. During the stop, shots were exchanged and the two officers were hit, both suffering non-life-threatening injuries, while the 23-year-old fled on foot. The suspect is also wanted by police in Fargo, ND for an attempted homicide incident.