By Attorney Brianna Meyer

One of recently elected Governor Evers’ campaign promises was to address pardons in the state of Wisconsin. A pardon is similar to an expungement in that it grants a second chance to individuals who have been convicted of a crime. Having a record expunged removes the offense completely from a person’s criminal record. Pardons do not have this same power, but they do give back some of the rights that are taken away from citizens after receiving a criminal conviction. If granted a pardon, an individual can once again own a gun, vote, be on a jury, hold public office, and hold various licenses that they were not eligible for as a convicted felon. While an offense may still appear in background checks, having it pardoned can help a person put a better foot forward when seeking employment opportunities.

Governor Evers recently recreated the nine-member Pardon Advisory Board to address the thousands of pardon requests that have not been attended to. Before Evers came into office, Governor Scott Walker put the pardon process to a stop in 2011. According to The Washington Post, the Governor Evers’ office has already received requests from 1,600 individuals regarding pardons.

By Attorney Chris Strohbehn

Civil litigation is the legal term for a conflict being settled in court. These conflicts can be between two or more parties, and they typically involve business deals and/or monetary disputes. If the parties, also known as the plaintiff and the defendant, cannot come to an agreement themselves, they will take the case to court to have a judge or jury make a final decision. Civil litigation cases have a specific procedure that is followed to ensure that all of the parties have a fair legal hearing.

By Attorney Brianna Meyer

Under Wisconsin law, expungement means “to strike or obliterate from the record all references to the defendant’s name and identity.” In other words, this removes a person’s criminal past from their record. The purpose of this is to give individuals a second chance. A criminal record can follow someone for the rest of their life, especially since online tools are available that allow anyone to research a person’s background. Websites such as Wisconsin Circuit Court Access allow users to search names and find people’s criminal records, and this can affect a person’s ability to find a job, obtain housing, or apply for education, and it can also impact someone’s personal reputation and relationships. Many advocates are calling for reform of Wisconsin’s expungement system to reduce the negative repercussions faced by people who have served a criminal sentence.

By Attorney Tom Brown

When a business faces accusations of healthcare fraud, this can have a massive impact on its bottom line, since in addition to facing fines and other consequences related to criminal charges, its reputation in the community is also likely to suffer. This type of fraud can affect consumers, providers, and insurers, and it can cause the costs of everyone’s healthcare benefits to rise. Because of these negative effects, these crimes are taken very seriously by law enforcement officials, and those who have been accused of healthcare fraud should be sure to understand the charges and the potential consequences. 

By Attorney Denis Regan

All parents hope that their children will be safe and happy throughout their lifetime. This concern can be a serious stressor for parents of special needs children. While some individuals with special needs can live a fully functioning life, many struggle to do everyday things without the help of another adult. Parents may fear that their child will not have a form of income to sustain themselves, and they may want to take steps to ensure that their child is provided for. 

One of the best ways to create peace of mind is by forming a special needs trust. This type of trust holds and protects financial assets for the benefit of a disabled beneficiary. Many of these trusts receive assets from a legal settlement that involves the special needs child, while others are created through an estate plan. This allows parents to provide the child with assets that can be used during or after the parents’ lifetime, as well as life insurance proceeds after their death.

By Attorney Jaclyn Kallie and Law Clerk Nathan Froemming

Contracts are important for any business, and if the terms of a contract are not followed, this can have a significant impact on a company’s bottom line. If a party is not meeting their contractual obligations, you might wonder what options you have. In a breach of contract case, you may be able to seek multiple types of remedies, including:

1. Liquidated Damages

Liquidated damages are available when the contract at issue has a clause setting damages in the event of a breach. While this may seem like a straightforward provision, there are often arguments that can be made that would call into question whether liquidated damages are appropriate under the specific circumstances in your case. For example, the contract may provide for liquidated damages only under certain types of breach.

By Attorney Brianna Meyer

In Wisconsin, refusing a breathalyzer test after being arrested for suspected drunk driving can result in the suspension of your driver’s license. However, what many people do not know is that a roadside blood alcohol content (BAC) test is voluntary. Due to the danger of license suspension, many people submit to a breathalyzer test and live with the results that come from it. However, breathalyzer tests are not always 100 percent accurate, and there are ways to challenge the results in Wisconsin courts.

By Attorney Christopher Strohbehn

You may be driving on a road in a place where you travel all the time, when suddenly the road changes in some way due to construction. Construction zones pose significant risks to motorists, because they can unpredictably change a road, and drivers may be unsure about the proper ways to navigate these changes. In addition, construction zones can create dangerous roadway conditions if care is not taken to properly set up detours or closed lanes. Due to these factors, car accidents in construction zones are common. In fact, Wisconsin sees about 2,000 work zone accidents each year.

By Attorney Max Stephenson

While same-sex marriage has been legal for several years in Wisconsin and nationwide, some novel and difficult issues related to same-sex divorce continue to be considered by the courts. Those going through a same-sex divorce should be aware of these issues and the possible outcomes that may result.

By Attorney Christopher Strohbehn and Law Clerk Jason Findling

“Dooring” is a type of traffic accident where a bicyclist crashes into an open car door while riding on the road or a bicycle path. Opening a car door without checking for bike riders may cause a cyclist to collide with the car door, fall from their bike, and be thrown into traffic. These types of traffic bicycle accidents often cause serious injuries to cyclists and can even result in death to a biker. So, it is crucial that car drivers and passengers pay attention to their surroundings when opening car doors in bike lanes or in any other situation where a bicyclist may be near their vehicle.