Underage alcohol consumption tickets can be trouble. Underage alcohol consumption/possession (underage drinking) tickets are extremely common once students return to college.  Fortunately, an underage drinking ticket is a forfeiture.  A forfeiture is a non-criminal offense that results in a fine.  Jail or prison time are not consequences of a forfeiture, but certain other collateral consequences…

Mayhem charges?  Contact Van Severen Law Office at (414) 270-0202 Prosecutors rarely pursue mayhem charges in Wisconsin.  But that doesn’t mean this charge isn’t serious.  Mayhem is a Class C felony, punishable by up to 40 years in prison and $100,000.00 in fines.  Comparing this penalty to other crimes, mayhem lands among sexual assault, armed…

What qualifies as theft? There are five ways to prove theft: 1) The defendant intentionally took, carried, aware, transferred, concealed, or retained possession of movable property of another without the other’s consent and with intent to deprive the owner permanently of possession of such property. Theft in a business setting: 2) By virtue of his…

Child Neglect Defense Attorneys.  Speak with one of our criminal defense lawyers. Contact Van Severen Law Office at (414) 270-0202 to discuss your child neglect case Individuals are often surprised how easy it is to be charged with child neglect in Wisconsin.  Simply leaving your child (or a child you’re responsible for) in the car while…

What does the State need to prove in order to show burglary? Breaking the statute down, certain things surely need to be proven beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.  Those things are called “elements.”  In detail, Wisconsin Jury Instruction Criminal 1421 provides the four elements of burglary: 1) The defendant intentionally entered a building; and…

Clarification of the Castle Doctrine: At least one case helped clarify the castle doctrine.  In State v. Chew, the Court of Appeals was tasked with determining whether the doctrine applied (whether a jury instruction should be given) when Mr. Chew fired shots from the hall in his apartment and the doorway of the apartment building…