Criminal defense attorney Ben Van Severen explains the Alien Enemies Act of 1798: The Alien and Sedition Acts were a series of four laws passed by the United States Congress in 1798 during the presidency of John Adams.  The laws were enacted amid heightened tensions between the United States and France (specifically the Quasi-War, an…

Are Wisconsinites required to open their doors to ICE officials? Quickly after Donald Trump took office in 2025, he began pursuing one of his campaign promises: to reign in illegal immigration, secure the border, and deport individuals in violation of immigration laws.  Unfortunately, his plans quickly expanded, a prison in El Salvador got involved, and…

Wisconsin drunk driving laws in 2025: What are they?  Have the laws changed over the last year? Sometimes, state criminal laws change quickly.  Criminal drunk driving laws are no exception.  Prior to 2017, a fourth offense OWI was a misdemeanor in Wisconsin, so long as no prior drunk driving offense had occurred within the last…

Is it possible to commit OWI while snowmobiling? As we approach winter in Wisconsin, many snowmobile enthusiasts ask the same question: can I be arrested for OWI while snowmobiling?  The quick answer is yes.  Wisconsin drunk driving law includes operating any motor vehicle.  While many of those motor vehicles are included in the general drunk…

It’s important to succeed on probation.  How do you do it? Succeeding on probation certainly sounds easy.  Just follow the rules, right?  As criminal defense attorneys, we’ve seen all kinds of reasons that offenders have failed probation, extended supervision, and parole. And unfortunately, in all of those cases, the probation officer alleged that the offender…

Marijuana is illegal in Wisconsin.  What about substances like delta-8, delta-9, delta-10, and CBD? Years after the federal legalization of hemp-derived delta-9, Wisconsinites across the state have started to see advertisements for “legal weed.”  And once they take a look into these ads, they’re sometimes surprised to see that various companies across the United States…

Florida man shoots down a Walmart drone. On June 26, 2024, 72-year-old Dennis Winn of Lake County, FL was cleaning his pool when he reported hearing a “whirring” noise from the sky.  Winn spotted a drone above his home and retrieved his 9mm handgun from the house.  He fired once, hitting the drone, which then…

Milwaukee County winter parking laws start December 1, 2024.  Don’t get towed. Milwaukee County winter parking laws go into effect on December 1, 2024.  Different municipalities and neighborhoods have different rules, so we’ve compiled winter parking regulations from larger municipalities in this blog post for your convenience. Van Severen Law Office, S.C. is a criminal…

You were convicted of a felony.  Now you’re wondering – where can felons work in Wisconsin?  (And the United States?) Whether and where felons can work is a polarizing topic for discussion.  Some people believe that it’s appropriate to ban felons from working for the rest of their lives.  These individuals think that a mistake…

What is voter disenfranchisement? Voter disenfranchisement refers to the practice of restricting or denying someone’s ability to vote.  Voter disenfranchisement can take many forms, including things we all share, like gender and age.  In other countries around the world, voter disenfranchisement is sometimes based on ethnicity or the area within a country an individual resides. …