Madison, WI Criminal Defense Attorneys

First, the Grateful Dead were right: “If you’ve got a warrant, I guess you’re gonna come in.” If the police have a warrant to search your home or business, a judge has already decided that there is probable cause that a crime may have been committed and the police have every right to enter and search your home. BUT, that doesn’t mean you have to answer their questions! You have the constitutional right to refuse (we suggest doing so politely) to answer any questions about whether you did anything illegal. It is the rare, 1 in a 100 or 1,000 case where talking to the police will actually help you. Your best approach is to politely decline to answer any questions without a lawyer present. Then, give a highly qualified criminal defense lawyer a call immediately to discuss your case.

In Wisconsin, if you are arrested for a misdemeanor you can post cash bail and be released. If you are arrested for a felony then you will be kept in custody until you make an initial appearance in front of a judge, and the judge will either set cash bail or order you released on a signature bond (that doesn’t require you to post cash). But that usually is within a day or two of your arrest.

In Wisconsin there are basically two levels of crimes: felony and misdemeanor. Wis. Stat. Section 939.50 classifies certain offenses as misdemeanors and some as felonies. There are three types of misdemeanors: Class A, Class B, or Class C. Class A misdemeanors are punishable by a term of imprisonment not to exceed 9 months. That includes most misdemeanor offenses like battery, theft, OWI’s (second to fourth offenses), obstructing justice, resisting arrest, domestic battery, and many others. The most common Class B misdemeanor, which is punishable by a term of imprisonment not to exceed 90 days, is disorderly conduct and domestic disorderly conduct. “Imprisonment” for misdemeanors almost always means jail time, not actual prison time.

The difference between a misdemeanor and felony in Wisconsin is that for a felony offense you can be imprisoned for more than a year. For felony offenses that means you can actually be put in prison, not just jail. And the sentences range from a year and a day to life imprisonment for homicide. Typical felony charges include fraud, drug distribution, drug possession, substantial battery, theft (like retail theft of $500 or more), and sexual assault.

The answer to this question comes down to experience and results. And that translates to a reputation in the legal community. Here at Coad Law Office, we have decades of experience and have been recognized as some of the best criminal defense attorneys in Wisconsin. You want to hire a lawyer who has seen your type of case many, many times, and has gotten results for his clients. So focus your questions on those areas.

Your defense lawyer doesn’t have to froth at the mouth to aggressively defend you. Again, it comes down to experience, skill, and a reputation that will get you your best result. Sometimes that means filing motions to suppress evidence, and taking a case to trial. It always means paying attention to the details of your case and your story and thoroughly investigating your case. We believe that a thorough investigation by the defense can even the odds and put our clients in a much better position for success. Other times it means using experience and judgment to negotiate the best possible outcome for you and to minimize your risks. We know what to do, when to do it, and how to get you to your best result.