Category: Criminal penalties

Mandatory minimum sentences for child porn convictions: On December 14, 2015 a client of Van Severen Law Office was sentenced for possession of child pornography in the Fond du Lac County Circuit Court.  Although charged with possession of ten images, our criminal defense attorney was able to negotiate for seven of the counts to be dismissed….

What do you do if you receive a municipal citation?  Is it worth fighting?  Do I even need an attorney?  The attorneys at Van Severen Law Office believe that there’s always something worth fighting for, even if it’s just a seemingly minor municipal citation. Court date information Nearly every officer in the state uses the Wisconsin…

Wisconsin is known as a “Truth in Sentencing” state.  This means that someone sentenced to the Wisconsin State Prison System must serve a bifurcated sentence – a period of initial confinement and a period of extended supervision.  The “truth” in the sentence comes from the fact that the offender knows exactly how much time he…

How do defendants lose this credit? Defendants lose good time when they aren’t good.  The law says: An inmate who violates any law or any regulation of the jail, or neglects or refuses to perform any duty lawfully required of him or her, may be deprived by the sheriff of good time under this section,…

What’s the actual definition of a misdemeanor? Section 939.60 of the Wisconsin Statutes provides us the actual definition of misdemeanor: A crime punishable by imprisonment in the Wisconsin state prisons is a felony.  Every other crime is a misdemeanor. We certainly believe that the focus on time is easier to understand.  By this definition, a…

Felonies carry a variety of sentences: A 12 month sentence is much different than a life sentence.  One is painful.  The other is a complete restriction of our liberty for the rest of your life.  So, how do we break down felonies? Felonies range from Class A to Class I and carry different penalties.  Section…