Category: Drunk Driving

Out of state wet reckless offenses count as prior drunk driving convictions when calculating OWI penalties in Wisconsin. In Wisconsin, a first-offense drunk driving charge is non-criminal and does not carry the possibility of incarceration.  This is not the case in the vast majority of other states, where a first offense is typically a criminal…

Mandatory minimum penalties apply in all Wisconsin drunk driving cases.  Prior to February 2023, defense attorneys, prosecutors, and trial courts had a difficult time deciding what mandatory minimum penalties applied to 5th and 6th offense OWIs.  Those specific OWI offenses carry a presumptive minimum penalty of 1.5 years initial confinement in prison, but allow courts…

2023 OWI 1st charges in Wisconsin: The first time many individuals are ever arrested is for a first-offense operating while intoxicated.  In Wisconsin, a first OWI isn’t a criminal charge (it is not a misdemeanor or felony).  Penalties include fines ranging between $150.00 and $300.00, a driver license revocation of 6-9 months, and an interlock ignition…

What is the law for OWI while snowmobiling? Section 346.63(1)(a) of the Wisconsin Statutes governs operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of an intoxicant.  The law says: 346.63  Operating under influence of intoxicant or other drug. (1)  No person may drive or operate a motor vehicle while: (a) Under the influence of an intoxicant, a…

What is an ignition interlock device? An ignition interlock device is a cell phone sized device that is wired to your vehicle’s ignition.  After installation, an IID requires you to provide breath samples before starting a vehicle, and sometimes while a vehicle is operational.  If the device detects alcohol in the breath sample, the engine…

What happens when I violate implied consent laws? If the driver refuses an evidentiary blood, breath, or urine test, certain administrative penalties apply.  If prosecutors prove the refusal (or if the challenge timeframe passes) the Department of Motor Vehicles revokes the driver’s license for 12 months.  Additional requirements include an ignition interlock device, a substance…

On June 3, 2022, the Supreme Court of Wisconsin determined: Wisconsin’s OWI graduated-penalty scheme is unconstitutional to the extent it counts prior revocations for refusing to submit to a warrantless blood draw as offenses for the purpose of increasing the criminal penalty. The following blog post may contain outdated law and is focused on refusals…

The law – section 343.31(1m)(b) of the Wisconsin Statutes Section 343.31(am)(b) of the Wisconsin Statutes states: Upon receiving a [homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle or firearm] or [injury by intoxicated use of a vehicle conviction, or] conviction, suspension, or revocation counted under s. 343.307 (1) that together with other records of the department show that the…

The statutory definition of operating while intoxicated Wisconsin Statute section 346.63(1)(a) prohibits operating while intoxicated: No person may drive or operate a motor vehicle while: Under the influence of an intoxicant, a controlled substance, a controlled substance analog or any combination of an intoxicant, a controlled substance and a controlled substance analog, under the influence…

How do law enforcement personnel administer the horizontal gaze nystagmus test? The NHTSA requires that the law enforcement administer the HGN test in a specific manner.  They break the test down into nine parts: Firstly, check for eyeglasses.  The officer instructs a drive who wears glasses to remove them.  Sometimes law enforcement will even ask…