Mutilating or hiding a corpse cases are serious. Contact Van Severen Law Office for help. (414) 270-0202
The criminal defense attorneys at Van Severen Law Office have significant experience defending all kinds of criminal cases. We defend hiding or mutilating corpse cases. Being accused of this crime is serious. Why? The police are certainly investigating the cause of the death. If they believe you caused the death, they’ll be looking at you for homicide charges. Homicide charges send you to prison for a significant length of time.
Whether we’re talking about mutilating a corpse or hiding a corpse, the maximum penalty is 12 years in prison. Along with the prison you face a fine of $25,000.00 in fines. It’s a Class F felony, so the 12 years prison is broken down into 7.5 years initial confinement and 5 years extended supervision.
Finally, contact Van Severen Law Office if you’re facing mutilating or hiding a corpse charges. Our criminal defense attorneys specialize in defending crimes just like this one. We don’t handle non-criminal cases because we specialize in criminal defense. We answer phone calls 24/7 at (414) 270-0202.
What is mutilating a corpse?
Mutilating a corpse is a crime prohibited by section 940.11(1) of the Wisconsin Statutes. The exact language of the statute indicates that it’s a crime when an individual “mutilates, disfigures or dismembers a corpse, with intent to conceal a crime or avoid apprehension…” As with any criminal offense, there are specific parts, or elements, that must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. Wisconsin Criminal Jury Instruction 1193 describes mutilating a corpse. The two elements of mutilating a corpse are:
The defendant mutilated, disfigured, or dismembered a corpse.
The defendant mutilated, disfigured, or dismembered a corpse with the intent to conceal a crime or avoid apprehension, prosecution, or conviction for a crime. The intent requires that the defendant acted with the purpose to conceal a crime or avoid apprehension, prosecution, or conviction for a crime.
“Corpse” means the dead body of a human being. American Heritage Dictionary of English Language, 3rd Edition, 1992.
What is hiding a corpse?
Hiding a corpse is prohibited by section 940.11(2) of the Wisconsin Statutes. The language of the statute says “Whoever hides of buries a corpse, with intent to conceal a crime or avoid apprehension, prosecution, or conviction for a crime…” is guilty of a Class F felony. Importantly, this section does not make it a crime if the corpse is hidden to avoid apprehension, prosecution, or conviction of certain fraud crimes involving financial benefits from the State of Wisconsin. Wisconsin Criminal Jury Instruction 1194 describes hiding a corpse. The elements of hiding a corpse are:
The defendant hid or buried a corpse.
The defendant hid or buried a corpse with intent to conceal a crime or to avoid apprehension, prosecution, or conviction for a crime.
The definition of corpse is the same for hiding a corpse as it is for mutilating a corpse.
How do we defend my case?
Unfortunately, facing a charge like this will likely attract media attention. While that might sound like a good opportunity to describe what happened, don’t. Absolutely do not answer the door when they show up. Don’t even open the door. Don’t tell them off. And certainly ensure your friends and family do the same. While the government must follow constitutional principles, the media doesn’t have to. And if you make statements that can be used against you, they’ll almost certainly be used against you at trial.
Speaking of statements, do not speak to the police. Unfortunately, law enforcement officers generally aren’t looking for the truth. They’re talking to you because you’re a suspect. And once you’re a suspect, their goal is one thing: build a case against. Finally, don’t fall for their lines about “taking it easy” on you. Remember, the cops don’t decide your sentence. The judge does. And he’s not sitting in there with you. Maintain your right to silence.
If the police engaged in illegal or unconstitutional behavior, it may help your case. We’ll file pretrial motions challenging that conduct. Ideally the result of those motions is suppression of certain evidence. When evidence is suppressed, it can’t be used against you. That makes your trial case a lot stronger.
There are various ways to defend your mutilating or hiding a corpse case. That being said, the most important part of defending a case is what happens before we get involved. If you confess to the crime, that will almost certainly be used against you at trial.
Mutilating or hiding a corpse is a serious felony offense in Wisconsin. Contact Van Severen Law Office at (414) 270-0202 for help.
Finally, contact the criminal defense attorneys at Van Severen Law Office
Cases involving homicide, manslaughter, murder, and corpses are obviously incredibly serious. At Van Severen Law Office our criminal defense attorneys focus their entire practices on criminal defense. We don’t handle non-criminal cases. For example, we can’t draft your will. And we certainly won’t represent you during your divorce. This is an important point. It allows us to better represent you while defending your mutilating or hiding a corpse case. While any attorney will take your money, you need to ensure you hire a specialist. You’ll find that at Van Severen Law Office.
Our criminal defense attorneys certainly answer phones 24/7. We respond to calls on the weekends. And we’ll certainly call you back after hours. To speak with a top criminal defense lawyer, call us at (414) 270-0202.
