By Attorney Nicole Masnica

Many criminal offenses committed in Wisconsin are handled within the state’s criminal justice system, including crimes related to operating while intoxicated (OWI), many types of property crimes, and violent crimes. However, if an alleged offense violates a federal law, the defendant can instead be tried in federal court. If you have been accused of a federal crime, or if you believe you may be at risk of facing federal charges, your attorney can help you understand what to expect.

Examples of Federal Offenses

There are many different kinds of offenses for which a person may face federal charges, but some of the most common include:

By Attorney Cameron Weitzner

Under Wisconsin law, battery is a criminal offense that is defined as any act that intentionally causes another person bodily harm without his or her consent. This encompasses a wide range of situations, from those involving minor injuries to the infliction of injuries with severe, permanent effects. Charges may also be different depending on the identity of the person who was injured. If you have been charged with battery, it can be difficult to know the severity of the penalties you may face based on the circumstances. An experienced defense attorney can help you understand the nature of your charges and work to make sure you avoid unnecessary consequences.

Penalties Vary Depending on the Severity of Injuries

There are three main levels of battery in Wisconsin, which are defined as follows:

By Attorney Cameron Weitzner

Wisconsin law protects people’s property by imposing criminal penalties on those who willfully damage or steal something that belongs to somebody else. In addition to theft, Wisconsin defines a wide range of different property crimes, and some come with much more serious penalties than others. If you have been arrested for criminal damage to property, you need an experienced criminal defense attorney who can help you understand the specific charges you are facing and the possible penalties if you are convicted.

Understanding Types of Criminal Damage to Property

In Wisconsin, some of the most common state charges for property crimes include:

By Attorney Nicole Masnica

White collar crimes such as fraud, money laundering, or securities and antitrust violations, bear severe punishment and a conviction for these types of charges can affect the rest of your life. These criminal investigations tend to be lengthy and complex, and a defendant may undergo a thorough sweep of their financial records. These investigations can be especially concerning if there are potential federal charges, including through the RICO Act. However, this act is not always fully understood, and defendants will want to determine how these types of charges may affect their case.

Healthcare is one of the largest industries in the United States with billions of health insurance claims being processed every year and trillions of dollars spent on medical care. The massive size of this industry and the complexity of insurance coverage and billing methods has led to prevalent abuse of the system as people and organizations seek to fraudulently enrich themselves. Healthcare fraud is common, and people should be aware of the possibility that they may face serious criminal charges if they commit this type of offense.

Common Types of Healthcare Fraud

Healthcare fraud can be committed by medical providers, patients, or other people or organizations involved in the healthcare system. Some common forms of healthcare fraud include:

By Ray Dall’Osto and Brianna Meyer

Being pulled over by a law enforcement officer for a traffic stop is stressful; however, the possibility of being arrested for OWI (Operating While Intoxicated, also called DUI) can make things much worse. If you are pulled over for a traffic stop or on suspicion of drunk driving, it is important for you to understand your rights. If you don’t know how to assert your rights, you have none.

The Right to Avoid Self-Incrimination

Drunk driving is a serious threat to the safety of everyone who uses the road. Across the United States, there are an average of more than 10,000 fatalities every year in car crashes involving a driver who is under the influence of alcohol.

The penalties for driving while under the influence are severe, and an arrest for operating while intoxicated (OWI) can result in substantial fines, jail time, driver’s license suspension, mandatory alcohol addiction assessment and counseling, and the requirement to use an ignition interlock device (IID) in one’s vehicle.

Even though the potential consequences of drunk driving are well-known, many people continue to get behind the wheel after drinking, believing that if they have had just one or two drinks, they will be able to drive safely. However, this type of activity, known as “buzzed driving,” is incredibly dangerous. Moreover, even if a driver’s blood alcohol content (BAC) is under the legal limit of .08 percent, he or she is still putting himself or herself and others at risk.

When a person is accused of a crime in the United States, he or she is presumed innocent until proven guilty—our legal system is meant to protect the innocent. However, all too often, miscarriages of justice occur, and people are convicted of crimes they did not commit.

When someone is wrongfully imprisoned and he or she is later exonerated, the individual deserves to be compensated for the time he or she was incarcerated. Unfortunately, the amount of compensation that exonerees are eligible to receive is often inadequate.

Compensation for Exonerees in Wisconsin

By Attorney Ray Dall’Osto

On April 18, 2017, Kima Hamilton was removed from a Delta Airlines flight from Atlanta to Milwaukee because he had to go to the bathroom while the plane was on the tarmac. Mr. Hamilton and his attorney have filed a lawsuit in federal court alleging that how he was treated was unreasonable and was significantly different from how other similarly-situated passengers were treated, because of his race.

The lawsuit alleges that Mr. Hamilton had to urinate after the plane left the gate, and was told by crew members he would have to wait otherwise the plane would lose its spot in line. After telling the flight attendant it was an emergency and using the restroom, the plane returned to the gate and Mr. Hamilton was escorted off the plane by an airline employer and was questioned by the FBI.

Stealing supplies from work may seem to some people like a perk of the job—even an action that no one will notice. However, this type of employee theft can be considered a crime. Taking money from your workplace is embezzlement. Workplace theft is a common problem for employers and retailers, and many have systems in place to detect it.

Whether it’s pens, paper, electronic devices, DVDs, thumb drives, petty cash or merchandise, taking home assets you do not own and haven’t pay for from your place of employment could result in your being terminated from employment and subjected to criminal charges, fines, possibly jail time, and civil restitution claims for treble and punitive damages.

Reasons Why Employees Steal from the Workplace