People who purchase a gun tend to be aware that there are a variety of laws and other rules surrounding them, such as where the weapon is allowed to be used and how the gun may be carried. Yet, not as many people realized that a similar set of rules apply to other weapons, such […]
Wisconsin has something of a national reputation for being lenient on people charged with OWIs. In fact, Wisconsin is the only state that still treats a first-time OWI offense as a traffic violation rather than a criminal charge. Yet, that reputation for leniency may be about to change. The Wisconsin state legislature is considering a new bill that would […]
Police departments in Wisconsin have access to a little-known piece of technology with some surprising implications for privacy. Some squad cars now have an automatic license plate reader (ALPR). The system catalogs every license plate it passes and records the position in a police database. The ALPR system has proven useful in apprehending some criminals, […]
Although many drivers understand that they have certain rights during traffic stops, often these rights are misunderstood or go unexercised. Yet, with over 200,000 traffic stops a year according to a report by the Wisconsin State Patrol, many people stand to benefit from more clearly understanding their rights when interacting with the police. With regard to traffic stops, […]
From laptops to smartphones, computers have become a ubiquitous part of nearly everyone’s lives. People commonly joke that people have more computing power in their pockets today than NASA did when landing someone on the moon. As much as computers are helpful in everyday life, they have also created a new vulnerability, computer crime. Computer thieves, […]
Drivers on Wisconsin roads who hear a plane overhead may want to take a second to check their speedometers. They might find that those planes are Wisconsin State Patrol flights, an aerial surveillance unit that works with officers on the ground to dole out tickets to unsuspecting drivers. The surveillance missions have led to the issuance of […]
It is not a controversial statement to say that advertisers often stretch the truth, but the law does place limits on what they can say. A company that spins the facts too much may risk a lawsuit because of false advertising and unfair competition. The lawsuit can come from either the FTC or from a competitor. Interestingly, a […]
Battery is one of the more common crimes prosecuted is Wisconsin. However, just because it is common does not mean that it is trivial. Whether it started as a bar fight, self-defense, or just a momentary lapse, the crime of battery charge can have serious consequences, if it is not handled properly. Consequently, people should understand how Wisconsin […]
Hazing, bullying done to people in order to initiate them into an organization, was once thought of as a bit of harmless fun that helped people build camaraderie. However, it has since become clear to state governments that hazing can actually have serious consequences, and can even result in the death of students when it […]
With an ever-growing number of public financial scandals, white collar criminal prosecutions are becoming a larger and larger part of the federal criminal caseload. Although white collar crime is a broad umbrella that can implicate many different kinds of activity, one of the most common white collar crimes is securities fraud. However, referring to securities fraud as […]