With the passing of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia last week, the Meyer Van Severen, S.C. Blog takes a look back at how he influenced the Supreme Court over the course of his 30 years on the bench. Appointment and Early Days Scalia was appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1986 after then-Chief Justice Warren…

Self defense – it’s brought up in high profile cases and featured in TV shows and movies.  But what really constitutes “self defense?”  And is it really that commonly used?  This post will examine what self defense really is and the scenarios where self defense can, and cannot, be used. The Law of Self Defense…

There are dozens of crimes involving possession of something prohibited by law.  Controlled substances and weapons are the most common items where possession is regulated.  Possession seems pretty straightforward, but in fact, it’s quite the opposite.  This post will examine the different ways to possess an item and legal defenses to possession. Possession – What…

In a little under one month since its release, the Netflix original documentary “Making a Murderer” has taken America by storm.  The 10-part series was released on December 18, 2015, just in time for the holidays.  The filmmakers take viewers on a nearly 30 year journey, beginning with Steven Avery’s 1985 conviction for sexual assault. …

On December 14, 2015 a client of Meyer Van Severen, S.C. was sentenced for possession of child pornography in the Fond du Lac County Circuit Court.  Although charged with possession of ten images, Attorney Meyer was able to negotiate for seven of the counts to be dismissed.  Three charges remained, but the State of Wisconsin requested…

What do you do if you receive a municipal citation?  Is it worth fighting?  Do I even need an attorney?  The attorneys at Meyer Van Severen, S.C. 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…

The police just pulled you over for a traffic violation.  The officer took down your information and has decided to issue you a citation.  As he is handing you the ticket, he asks “Do you mind if I run my K-9 around your vehicle?”  What do you do?  Can you refuse?  What happens when the officer…

Why did the cops pull you over?  A criminal defense attorney should always ask you this question at your initial consultation.  Whether you’re facing a drug case, a drunk driving case, or any other case that involves a traffic stop, the police need to satisfy constitutional requirements before stopping your vehicle.  If they fail to…

Defendants in criminal cases often don’t understand good time.  Does it apply to prison?  Is it only in jail?  How is it calculated? Good time only applies to county jail sentences Section 302.43 of the Wisconsin Statutes provides the guidelines for good time.  “Every inmate of a county jail is eligible to earn good time in…