Throughout the United States, each state has enacted laws that make it unlawful to possess, distribute or manufacture illegal drugs. These substances include marijuana, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamines, and various other drugs. Also, an individual could be charged with drug distribution if he or she is engaged in the illegal distribution of prescription drugs, the most common being […]
In recent years, law enforcement agencies across the United States and in Wisconsin have relentlessly pursued producers, possessors and distributors of child pornography. Individuals caught and charged with the sexual exploitation of children or possession and/or distribution of child pornography could potentially be prosecuted under state or federal laws, or even both. Between 1996 and 2005, […]
Legal disputes over the admissibility of evidence seem like they have the potential to be quite dry, but in reality they can make all the difference in the outcome of a case. For instance, if a person is charged with possession of a controlled substance, the prosecution will have a difficult time proving their case […]
One of the biggest political controversies across the country today is the creeping legalization of marijuana. Many states have legalized marijuana for certain medical uses, and some have even gone so far as to legalize it for recreational use. This spate of legalizations presents a new issue, the likely increase in people driving under the […]
One of the most difficult parts of a criminal conviction is the continuing existence of a criminal record. Long after people have served their time and reformed themselves, they can still find their criminal record holding them back, preventing them from getting work, housing, or state licensing. Wisconsin law does allow for people to have their criminal records […]
OWIs can be serious charges that come with expensive penalties, especially for people who have prior OWIs on their records. Many people risk driving drunk because they think they will not get caught. Yet, there are tens of thousands of OWI convictions every year, according to statistics compiled by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Consequently, people should be aware […]
Many legal and police-based TV shows raise the issue of an “entrapment” defense at some point during their run, but the defense is often not as simple as those shows imply. The entrapment defense is an argument available to criminal defendants that the police tricked them into committing a crime that they would not have otherwise committed. […]
In Wisconsin, an individual charged with retail theft could not only be the subject of a criminal lawsuit, but a civil one as well. What most people do not know is that retail theft is a very serious crime in Wisconsin. Not only do allegations of retail theft carry severe criminal penalties, but the idea of a civil lawsuit hanging over your […]
Historically, arson was narrowly defined as the malicious burning of the dwelling of another. This meant that you could only be charged with arson if you intentionally burned the residence of another. Today, especially under Wisconsin law, arson is a felony and has been expanded to include, by means of fire, the intentional burning of a building of another, […]
Under Wisconsin law, conspiracy is defined as an agreement between two or more persons with the intent to violate the law. To be convicted of conspiracy, it has to be shown that an act was taken to further the goals of the conspiracy. Likewise, the same elements need to be proven under federal law. Conspiracy boils down to […]