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Recent Blog Posts
What Crimes Have the Longest Sentences in Milwaukee?
Being charged with a serious felony in Wisconsin changes your life overnight. While every criminal charge should be taken seriously, some offenses carry penalties that can keep someone in prison for decades or even for the rest of their life.
Wisconsin uses a felony classification system that assigns different maximum penalties based on the crime involved. If they believe the circumstances warrant it, prosecutors may also seek sentence enhancements that increase penalties even further.
If you are facing serious criminal charges in 2026, you need an experienced Milwaukee, WI criminal defense attorney right away. At Gimbel, Reilly, Guerin & Brown, LLP, we represent clients accused of Wisconsin's most serious criminal offenses.
What Crimes Carry the Longest Prison Sentences in Wisconsin?
Wisconsin classifies felonies from Class A through Class I under Wis. Stat. § 939.50. Class A felonies carry the harshest penalties, while Class I felonies carry the least severe felony penalties.
Using Social Media During a Bitter Divorce Can Make It Worse
Few things are harder than going through a contested divorce. Not only are you separating from a person you may have planned to spend your life with, but you have to spend that separation intensely negotiating topics that would make even the best of friends struggle to get along.
While there are some things that people who are going through contested divorces can do to make the process easier for themselves, there are also things they can do to make it worse. One of these things is using social media in an unwise or unhealthy way, both during and after the divorce process.
In 2026, social media platforms are everywhere and new apps constantly become available. Regardless of which social media accounts you prefer, our Milwaukee, WI divorce attorneys have a piece of advice: Use less social media during your divorce and, if you can, don’t use it at all. We explain general principles of social media use and divorce in this blog; contact us for more information about your specific case.
Supreme Court Rules Unlawful Drug Users Aren’t Automatically Prohibited from Owning Guns
For decades, federal law treated an "unlawful user of or addicted to any controlled substance" the same way it treated violent felons when it came to gun ownership. Using drugs of any kind outside of a medically indicated reason, like a prescription, automatically stripped that person’s Second Amendment rights.
On June 18, 2026, the United States Supreme Court changed that. In United States v. Hemani, the court ruled that the federal government cannot prosecute a person for possessing a firearm based only on the fact that they regularly use marijuana or another controlled substance. If you are a Wisconsin gun owner who uses marijuana, or if you are currently facing federal gun charges connected to drug use, this ruling may be important for you. Talk to our Milwaukee gun rights defense attorneys to learn more.
Wisconsin Passes Law Enhancing Criminal Penalties Against Vulnerable Adults
On April 2, 2026, Wisconsin enacted 2025 Wisconsin Act 149. This is new legislation that adds onto existing legislation to significantly expand the criminal penalties and procedural protections that apply when the victim of a crime is a vulnerable adult.
The law began as Assembly Bill 19 and extends several protections that previously applied only to elder persons — individuals 60 or older — to a broader category called "adults at risk." For anyone facing criminal charges in Milwaukee or elsewhere in Wisconsin that allegedly involve a vulnerable adult, this law is directly relevant to your case. Our Milwaukee criminal defense attorneys can explain more.
What Is Wisconsin Act 149?
Wisconsin Act 149 amends several sections of the Wisconsin Statutes to bring adults at risk under many of the same legal protections that have long applied to older adults. The changes affect criminal penalties, battery and sexual assault charges, restraining order procedures, and a court's ability to freeze a defendant's assets. The major changes include:
How Can I Address Wasted or Destroyed Assets During My Divorce?
Attorney Paul S. Crawford, Family Law Attorney at GRGB
In a divorce, the division of assets is often one of the most contentious issues. All of the property a couple owns must be valued and divided. Likewise, there needs to be a determination on who will be responsible for paying the debts the couple owes.
During this process, one spouse may find that the other has wasted or destroyed shared assets. This can seriously hurt the other spouse's finances. They may be left with little money and unexpected debts that must be repaid.
When one spouse takes actions that reduce the value of the marital estate, it's called "dissipation of assets." If you're going through a Wisconsin divorce, our Milwaukee family law attorneys can help you work towards a fair share of marital assets, including any that have been wasted.
Can You Get Your Gun Rights Back if You've Been Convicted of a Felony or Domestic Violence?
In 2026, both federal and Wisconsin state law restrict firearm possession for people with certain convictions. Losing your gun rights after a criminal conviction for a felony or misdemeanor domestic violence charge is usually permanent. For many people, it's one of the most frustrating consequences of a criminal record.
But depending on your situation, there may be a legal path to restoring those rights. At the very least, it's worth understanding your options before you despair of ever having access to your Second Amendment rights again. A Milwaukee criminal defense attorney with Gimbel, Reilly, Guerin & Brown, LLP can review your record and help you understand whether gun rights restoration is realistic in your case.
How a Felony or Domestic Violence Conviction Strips Your Gun Rights Under Wisconsin and Federal Law
Federal law under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g) makes it illegal for anyone convicted of a felony or a qualifying domestic violence offense to possess a firearm. This applies no matter which state you live in. Wisconsin law adds its own layer of restrictions under Wis. Stat. § 941.29, which prohibits firearm possession by people convicted of felonies or certain misdemeanor domestic violence offenses.
What Happens if Your Lawyer Has Evidence You’re Guilty?
Many people facing criminal charges worry about what will happen if their attorney learns they are guilty. Some people even panic and fear their lawyer will turn against them or immediately hand them over to prosecutors. Thankfully, that is not how criminal defense works in Wisconsin or anywhere else in the United States.
A Milwaukee criminal defense attorney’s job is not to decide whether a client is morally innocent. Defense lawyers exist to protect their clients’ constitutional rights. They challenge the government’s evidence and make sure the prosecution follows the law. The government still has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, even if an attorney knows their client probably committed the crime.
That being said, your attorney isn’t your best friend and there are still certain things you should never do with your criminal defense lawyer. One of these things is to give, or try to give, your lawyer evidence that shows you might be guilty.
Understanding the Exclusionary Rule
If you have been charged with a crime in Wisconsin, you may have heard the term "exclusionary rule" and wondered what it actually means and whether it could help your case. The exclusionary rule is one of the most powerful defenses in criminal cases, and one of the most important ways attorneys can hold police and the prosecution responsible for misbehavior.
In 2026, any good Wisconsin criminal defense attorney should look carefully at how police got evidence in any given case and whether they followed the rules. Problems with evidence can destroy a prosecution’s case and result in dropped charges or an acquittal. At Gimbel, Reilly, Guerin & Brown, LLP, we understand the exclusionary rule and use it as just one of many tools in our toolbox for giving our clients the best defense possible.
What Is the Exclusionary Rule?
The U.S. Constitution guarantees important rights to people accused of crimes. One of the most significant of these is the right to be protected from unreasonable searches and seizures. That protection comes from the Fourth Amendment, which generally prevents police from searching a person's home, car, or belongings without a valid warrant or a legally recognized reason to act without one.
Can I Be Pardoned or Have My Sentence Commuted Under Governor Evers’ Executive Order?
In April 2026, Governor Tony Evers signed two executive orders restoring Wisconsin's commutation process. Combined with the pardon process Governor Evers reinstated when he first took office, under which he has now issued a record-breaking 2,000 pardons, these executive orders represent a genuine second chance for thousands of people who are either currently incarcerated or carrying the weight of a felony conviction long after their sentence ended.
If you or someone you love is wondering whether a pardon or commutation might be possible, there could be hope. Our Wisconsin criminal defense attorneys for pardons and commutations diligently work on these cases and have successfully petitioned for pardons for many clients.
Can Police Get a Warrant for My Doorbell Footage?
If you have a Ring camera, a Nest doorbell, or any other video device mounted outside your home, you may have wondered what happens to that footage if the police come knocking. Can they take it? Can they demand it from the company directly? And what happens if someone shares your footage without your permission? 
These are real legal questions that come up constantly in 2026. If you have pressing legal questions about police and doorbell footage, or your video has already ended up somewhere it should not be, you deserve answers from our experienced Milwaukee, WI civil litigation and criminal defense attorneys.
Can Police Get Access to My Doorbell Camera Footage?
Police can access your doorbell camera footage, but how they do it depends on the conditions of each case, who they ask for access, and what legal process they follow.
