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Ignition interlock devices — otherwise known as IIDs — are increasingly part of the penalties for drunk driving convictions in Wisconsin and nationwide. In addition to preventing you from operating your vehicle if alcohol is detected on your breath, installation…

The Wisconsin legislature is considering three bills that would increase penalties for people convicted of drunk driving. A quick breakdown of the proposed legislation: One bill would establish a five-year minimum prison sentence for individuals convicted of homicide by intoxicated…

“We’re not criminals. We no longer want to live in the shadows of society.” Those are the words of a Gulf War veteran who recently spoke at a Capitol news conference in Madison. He was referring to his use of…

Many people are under the impression that possessing a small amount of marijuana is no longer a crime in Wisconsin. But in reality, it’s easy to run afoul of Wisconsin’s marijuana laws, and what you don’t know can hurt you….

The area around a person’s home, in legal terms, is called the curtilage. This area is constitutionally protected from warrantless search and seizure. For example, a police officer would generally need a warrant to enter and search your yard, your…

What gives a police officer the right to stop your vehicle? Basically, the officer must have reason to suspect that a violation has been committed, but what constitutes reasonable suspicion is not always clear. For example, the Wisconsin Supreme Court…

Cities across Wisconsin, including Waukesha and Milwaukee, have adopted municipal ordinances that decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana. Those cities still impose fines for simple possession, however, with the amount of the fine varying from city to city. For…

Each year in Wisconsin and throughout the country, people find themselves facing drug charges after being searched by police during traffic stops. In fact, a survey by the Bureau of Justice Statistics found that 3.5 percent of drivers who were…

In criminal defense, when we talk about “reasonable suspicion of criminal activity,” we’re talking about just that: reason to think that a crime has been committed. In the context of traffic stops, a police officer must have reasonable suspicion to…