Kenosha Criminal Defense
The consequences of being arrested can affect your professional and personal life for years to come. If you find yourself in trouble with the law in the Kenosha area, it is crucial that you hire an experienced criminal defense lawyer such as Patrick Cafferty who can help minimize the legal repercussions.
Drunk driving—DWI/OWI
In Wisconsin, it is illegal for a driver to operate a motor vehicle while under the influence of an intoxicant. Drivers are considered under the influence when their ability to operate a motor vehicle is impaired. This means that if you are pulled over and the police officer determines you are impaired, you can be arrested and prosecuted regardless of your blood alcohol concentration (BAC). The legal BAC limit in Wisconsin is .08, but it drops down to .02 if you have had several operating while intoxicated (OWI) arrests in the past. It is illegal for drivers under 21 to have any alcohol in their system.
You can be arrested for drunk driving while operating a boat, ATV, snowmobile, or other motor vehicle. From the minute you are arrested, it is important to have someone on your side who knows the law. Police officers and prosecutors can make mistakes that can reduce or even dismiss the charges against you. If you have been arrested for OWI, speak with Racine criminal defense law firm Cafferty Law Office immediately to discuss your defense.
An OWI conviction can have a lingering impact on your life. The penalties for a first offense can include fines, court fees, higher insurance premiums, alcohol evaluations, and the loss of your license. An arrest for a second, third, or fourth OWI carries penalties that include mandatory jail time. A fifth OWI arrest is a felony.
You can lose your license following an arrest for OWI even if you have a clean record. A criminal lawyer in Kenosha can fight your license suspension. An Administrative Suspension Review Hearing can be requested within 10 days of notification from the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) that your license will be suspended. This hearing gives you a chance to save your driving privileges and possibly gather information the prosecution intends to use in its case against you.
Defense of OWI
If you are arrested for OWI, there are ways to have the charges against you lessened or even dismissed. The state has to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that you were operating the vehicle while intoxicated and that the police had probable cause to pull you over. Skilled criminal law attorney in Kenosha, Patrick Cafferty can examine the police report and the evidence collected against you to determine if proper procedure was followed and if any errors or problems occurred when the alcohol testing equipment was used.
Contact us
If you are arrested, contact Patrick Cafferty, an experienced Kenosha criminal defense attorney who can help. Contact Cafferty Law Office at 262-672-4763 today.
