Van Severen Law Office defends criminal cases throughout Wisconsin. The 4th of July is right around the corner.  It’s a good idea to keep an eye out for special enforcement of OWI/DUI offenses and offenses related to fireworks.  Here are a few reminders from our drunk driving and criminal defense law firm: Fireworks Possession of…

Carjacking penalties may increase in Wisconsin A bill proposed in the Wisconsin Senate looks to increase penalties for carjacking in Wisconsin.  Legislators said they proposed the bill because of the increased rate and brazenness of carjackings in Milwaukee.  This post will explore the current law and look at how the new law would increase the…

Inquest into the death of Terrill Thomas: An inquest into the death of Terrill Thomas began last week and should conclude early this week in Milwaukee County.  What is an inquest and what is its purpose in this specific case?  This post examines the law regarding an inquest and why it was ordered.  Criminal defense…

15 year old Kenosha student charged with homicide A 15 year old Kenosha high school student faces  2nd degree intentional homicide charges.  Prosecutors allege Timothy Carson and a fellow classmate at Bradford High School were fighting over a girl and that they arranged a fight in a park.  While the fight didn’t occur as planned, an altercation…

Anyone who commutes regularly on the highway system has no doubt encountered slow drivers traveling in the left lane.  For some, it’s a small inconvenience.  For others, it can lead to bouts of road rage.  A bill proposed in Maryland looks to fine drivers who remain in the left lane. Purpose The sponsor of the…

Not all arrests result in convictions, or even criminal charges.  The obvious way to avoid a conviction is to take your case all the way to trial and have the jury return a not guilty verdict.  But some people can avoid a criminal conviction short of a trial even if they are arrested or investigated…

If you are charged with a crime in Wisconsin, your first court appearance is called your initial appearance.  You will be notified of the charges against you and the court will likely set bail.  “Bail” is defined in Section 969.001 of the Wisconsin Statutes as “monetary conditions of release.” Section 969.01(1) states defendants arrested for…

How can someone be found not guilty by a jury of his peers and still be sent to prison?  Because he was on probation at the time he was charged with the crimes and his supervision was revoked.  Damien Payne took his felon in possession of a firearm and carrying a concealed weapon case to jury…

Wisconsin is seeing a significant increase in Len Bias homicide prosecutions in an effort to curb the delivery of opiate drugs and reduce overdose deaths.  The name Len Bias prosecutions became common parlance after the famous college basketball prospect overdosed on cocaine and died two days after he was drafted 2nd overall by the Boston Celtics…

Between April and November 2016, four people have died at the Milwaukee County Jail.  The sheriff’s office hopes that increasing the jail staff will lead to better monitoring and supervision of inmates.  The office has gone on a hiring spree recently, hiring approximately 25 corrections officers in December.  The plan is to have another group…