Many people are often unaware of what happens in the early stages of a criminal case. Instead, they are focused on the trial itself. However, the initial appearances may set the groundwork for a successful defense of the charges or make it clear to the prosecutor that they have their own risk in taking a case forward to the jury.
An arraignment is your initial appearance in court for your criminal defense case. It is one of your constitutional rights to be presented with the charges against you. It is one of the defendant’s first chances to appear in front of the judge, even though your case will not be won at an arraignment. However, do not make the mistake of thinking that the arraignment is a formality.
If you are wondering whether you need a lawyer for a traffic ticket, we would start by giving you the answer that it seems like most lawyers give to most any legal question: it depends. There are a number of factors that determine whether you need legal help for your traffic ticket. Of course, there are times when it does not make sense to go to the expense of hiring an attorney to fight the ticket. However, in other cases, you could only benefit from having legal help on your side.
No-knock warrants have been in the news recently in the wake of several high-profile cases. These warrants are controversial at best and can be downright dangerous for both the police executing them and the people in the homes. Police may enter the home with their guns drawn and startle the people inside. Many people wonder whether they are legal here in Wisconsin; for now, these warrants are legal. That said, many observers hope that law enforcement use them sparingly, given the dangers.
Under Wisconsin criminal laws, drug possession is a serious charge which can lead to serious penalties. If convicted, you could face several years in prison, steep fines, the loss of certain rights such as voting, as well as damage to your reputation, and the inability to hold particular jobs or licenses. Simply put, a conviction on drug possession charges has the potential to ruin your life.
When it comes to police searches, most people are not completely aware of what police can and cannot do. At one end of the spectrum, some people just automatically comply with police instructions when they want to search or seize evidence. At the other end, some are firmly convinced that they have personal liberty over everything and that police can seize or search nothing. This is even more pronounced when you are dealing with something like your cell phone that can hold some of your most personal information.