By Jaclyn Kallie, Nicole Masnica, and Ray Dall’Osto

The criminal justice system is meant to provide everyone who is accused of a crime with the opportunity for a fair trial, and not to convict the innocent.  Unfortunately, this does not always happen, and far too many criminal defense cases are over-charged and a significant number result in wrongful convictions. In recognition of this, the State of Wisconsin allows those who have been wrongfully convicted to pursue compensation for the ways their lives have been affected by serving prison sentences for crimes that they did not commit. The lawyers at Gimbel, Reilly, Guerin & Brown, LLP recently helped one of our clients, who was wrongfully convicted, secure a significant award recommendation from the Wisconsin State Claims Board, which is significantly greater than the statutory maximum currently allowed.  

Claims Board States That Wrongfully Convicted Man Deserves $1 Million Award

The firm’s client, Daryl Dwayne Holloway, was convicted for two separate charges of home invasion and sexual assault alleged to have occurred in 1992. Even though there was evidence exonerating him at the time, including phone records and witness testimony showing that he was in another location at the times the crimes occurred, the jury convicted him nonetheless, based on the victims’ identifying him in a suggestive police lineup and indicating that they recognized his voice.  Mr. Holloway ended up serving 24 years in state prison before his conviction was vacated in 2016 and the charges were dismissed, due to the persistent joint efforts of GRGB attorney Ray Dall’Osto and the Wisconsin Innocence Project. See, https://www.grgblaw.com/case-results/wisconsin-innocence-project-s-effort-to-exonerate-and-free-daryl-holloway-applauded

By: Attorney Jorge Fragoso

There are multiple different types of situations where a person may be accused of committing domestic abuse. These incidents are taken very seriously by law enforcement. If police officers are called to respond to domestic disputes or other situations where the safety of family members may be at risk, they may choose to arrest a person who is believed to have engaged in domestic violence. Those who are accused of committing these types of sensitive crimes may face criminal charges for battery or similar offenses. However, they will also need to understand when they may be subject to restraining orders or other limitations that will affect their lives and their relationships with their family members.

Arrests in Domestic Abuse Cases

While police officers in Wisconsin are not required to arrest a person after responding to a domestic violence incident, there are certain circumstances where officers may determine that an arrest is necessary. Generally, if an officer has a valid reason to believe that a person has violated the law by engaging in domestic abuse, they are required to perform an arrest if they reasonably believe that continued abuse is likely, if there is evidence that an alleged victim has suffered a physical injury, or if the alleged abuser is the primary aggressor in a domestic argument or disagreement.

By:  Attorney Nicole Masnica

All criminal charges should be taken seriously, since a conviction can result in multiple types of penalties, including prison sentences, probation, fines, or the loss of a professional license. Accusations involving sex crimes can be especially worrisome, since, in addition to other criminal penalties, a person who is convicted may be required to register as a sex offender. This can impact multiple parts of a person’s life and cause permanent damage to their reputation, their ability to find a job, and their relationships with family members, friends, and others in their community.

Requirements and Restrictions for People on the Sex Offender Registry

Generally, anyone who is convicted of a sexual offense will be required to register as a sex offender. This requirement will also apply to minors who are adjudicated delinquent based on sexual offenses, those who were found not guilty of sexual offenses based on mental illnesses, and residents of Wisconsin who were convicted of sex crimes in other states or jurisdictions.

Marsy’s Law is an initiative meant to protect crime victims' rights. This is a national proposal that has already been adopted in a handful of states, including Ohio. It has also been rejected in others, including Idaho and Maine. However, some legal scholars are concerned about the impact Marsy’s Law could have on the constitutional rights of criminal defendants. 

What Does Marsy’s Law Provide?

Some provisions in Marsy’s Law are a bit vague. In general, the law is designed to protect victims who have reported a crime against them as they participate in the criminal justice process. Provisions include: 

• Victims have the right to be treated with “dignity, respect, courtesy, sensitivity, and fairness.”

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By: Attorney Nicole Masnica and Paralegal Rachel Sweet

Watching the local news may lead you to believe that people are constantly being caught and arrested for very serious crimes, like violent felonies and even murder. However, this is not quite true. The most common offenses that people get arrested for may surprise you. While we like to think that jails exist to keep dangerous offenders out of the community where they cannot hurt anyone, the local jails are typically filled with non-violent offenders. 

If you have already been arrested, you need not feel alone. Hundreds of people are arrested every day in Wisconsin. If this is the situation you are in, a qualified defense attorney may be able to help minimize the impact your arrest will have on your life.