Increased penalties, local ordinances, and state criminal laws seek to fix a problem that’s getting worse with time: In 2022, Milwaukee Police Officers issued 496 reckless driving citations, a 32% increase from 2021.  During the same time period, there were 88 motor vehicle deaths, with 32 of those involving pedestrians.  Compare this to nearly a…

Contact Van Severen Law Office, S.C. immediately if you face straw purchasing of a firearm charges.  24/7: (414) 270-0202 Straw purchasing of a firearm refers to a crime that occurs when the defendant purchases or provides a firearm to another individual. The defendant knew that individual was prohibited from possessing the weapon, but proceeded with…

Possession of an electric weapon in Wisconsin is a felony.  Contact Van Severen Law Office, S.C. for help: (414) 270-0202 Possession of an electric weapon is against the law and punishable as a felony in Wisconsin.  Specifically, it’s a Class H charge, meaning that upon conviction the defendant faces a maximum penalty of 6 years…

Out of state wet reckless offenses count as prior drunk driving convictions when calculating OWI penalties in Wisconsin. In Wisconsin, a first-offense drunk driving charge is non-criminal and does not carry the possibility of incarceration.  This is not the case in the vast majority of other states, where a first offense is typically a criminal…

What is the intoxication defense?  The criminal defense attorneys at Van Severen Law Office, S.C. explain: Section 939.42 of the Wisconsin Statutes describes the intoxication defense – an affirmative defense to criminal liability based on the defendant’s involuntary intoxication.  You’ve certainly seen something similar before in movies and television.  The defendant wakes up in a…

Using oleoresin of capsicum (also known as pepper spray) to cause bodily harm is a crime in Wisconsin. While many individuals believe that pepper spray is a worthy self-defense tool, using oleoresin of capsicum (pepper spray) to cause bodily harm is a Class A misdemeanor in Wisconsin.  And while a Class A misdemeanor will not…

Possession of a machine gun or other full automatic firearm is a felony in Wisconsin.  Contact Van Severen Law Office at (414) 270-0202 for help. Possession of a machine gun or other full automatic firearm is a serious crime in Wisconsin.  Specifically, it’s a Class H felony, which carries a maximum penalty of 6 years…

The Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution allows you to refuse police searches of your vehicle. The Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution provides individuals many protections against various forms of intrusive police conduct.  The language of the Fourth Amendment is: The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses,…

Intentionally pointing a firearm at another is a misdemeanor in Wisconsin.  Contact Van Severen Law Office at (414) 270-0202 for help. Intentionally pointing a firearm at another is a firearm crime that doesn’t involve discharging the weapon.  Instead, legislators recognized the dangerousness of simply aiming the weapon at another human being.  To many this makes…

Carrying a firearm in certain public buildings is a misdemeanor in Wisconsin.  Contact Van Severen Law Office at (414) 270-0202 for help. Wisconsin criminal law bans carrying a firearm in a public building.  The word “public” building applies only to buildings owned or leased by the state or any political subdivision of the state.  The…