Racine Criminal Defense Blog

The U.S. Constitution contains numerous amendments that protect your rights, liberties and freedom. No situation warrants stripping you of such rights, although certain incidents may cause you to lose privileges, such as incurring a driver's license suspension for conviction of drunk driving. Privileges and rights are two separate issues. It is critical, not only to know what your rights are but how to exercise and protect them, especially if a legal problem arises.

If you're driving along a Wisconsin road and a police officer pulls you over, you have no way of knowing how events will unfold. He or she may simply inform you that you have a brake light out and issue a warning to have it repaired before driving again. On the other hand, if the officer asks you to step out of the car, it's likely that he or she suspects you of a crime. This is when it's most important to be aware of your rights.

Do you think it is possible to face OUI charges in Wisconsin if a police officer pulls you over in traffic and you have not consumed so much as a drop of alcohol beforehand? If you answered, "No," then you'd better keep reading. If you answered, "Yes," then you're likely aware that there are numerous conditions and commercial products that can cause false positive results on a preliminary alcohol screening test.  

This test occurs at the scene of a traffic stop. This is different than a chemical Breathalyzer, which determines the amount of alcohol in your bloodstream. A preliminary test uses a mobile test device and merely detects whether or not there is alcohol on your breath. The only problem is that there are many things besides alcoholic beverages that happen to prompt such devices to register positive. You are in for quite a challenge if you plan to fight OUI charges in a Wisconsin court.  

If you ever find yourself suspected of driving under the influence, police in Wisconsin will likely ask you to participate in some roadside testing. Field sobriety tests allow officers to look at a number of things that help them determine if a person is or is not under the influence of an impairing substance.

According to the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration, there are only three standard field sobriety tests. What are these tests? What are they looking for? Is participation mandatory?

Wisconsin criminal defendants know that when they are facing criminal charges of any kind, their future and their freedom is on the line. This is especially true for people facing drug charges. There are various types of drug charges, and if you face any type of criminal charge related to drug use, possession, manufacturing or trafficking, you would be wise to act quickly to protect your interests.

In many cases, the severity of a drug charge depends on the type of drug involved with your case. The federal Controlled Substances Act ranks many types of drugs, and this classification system could determine how serious the case against you may be. No matter what you are up against, you would be wise to work hard to confront the case against you.