There are many different jobs that someone who is looking to establish a career can choose. Many are drawn to the idea of becoming a defense lawyer. A criminal lawyer encompasses several areas of law. For those interested in pursuing this profession, this article will examine the answer to the question, "What does an OWI Attorney Wisconsin do?"
A criminal attorney is someone who represents a person in a matter of law that could be considered a "criminal" manner. Crimes are usually classified as misdemeanors and felonies depending on the state. These are by far the most serious charges that can ever be laid against a person. This is because crimes can result in jail time, particularly for habitual offenders or very serious crimes. Defendants in criminal cases are usually detained at police stations at some point before being charged. In contrast, civil defendants are usually just given the notice to appear in court on their own recognizance by a process server or other government official.
Due to the severity of charges, it is important that criminal defense attorneys, such as Nathan Dineen, be very skilled in defending OWI arrest or even assault charges. Many states will require licensing beyond the standard bar exam for such lawyers. A client does not have to be charged with a crime to hire such an attorney. Since there are a lot of victimless crimes in the United States, a person could just be seeking advice as to whether certain actions might unintentionally break the law and leave him or her exposed to legal charges.
Representing a client in court is often a part of what an OWI attorney Wisconsin does. However, this is not how the majority of time is usually spent. Many cases do not even end up in court and are mediated between defense attorneys and prosecutors prior to trial. Most of the rest of an attorney's time is spent preparing for cases.
Consequences of a DUI
What are some of the different DUI penalties that you can get? You may end up losing your license, paying a fine, going to jail, or more. There are a lot of different penalties that you can face when you are dealt a hand that involves a DUI.
In most states a DUI constitutes a fine. The amount of money you will have to pay will depend on how many DUI's you have under your belt at this point in time. A lot of people that continually get them end up having to pay more and more money as time goes on and eventually they get their license stripped from them or have other severe penalties attached to their case. You can look up a list of different fines on the internet that you may have to pay if you are caught driving drunk so make sure you look into that.
Sometimes if you get caught drinking and driving you will end up having to go to jail. You may expect this depending on where you live because they do not play around with people drinking and driving in most areas of the world. You may also end up in a holding cell for a while until you are not drunk and they will put your car in an impound lot so you will have to pay to get it out. Either way, they're not going to let you drive off if you are drinking or are on drugs.
You may end up getting your license suspended. This is where you cannot drive because your license has to be reinstated by the DMV later after a certain amount of time is past or after certain fines have been paid. You may have a combination of waiting and having to pay a fine so make sure you find out what is going on when you go to court over this or when you have to pay a ticket. If you end up forgetting about a ticket then you will regret it later because you may get pulled over and then find out that you have a suspended license when you get arrested.
In some areas you have to go to therapy or some kind of group where you talk about alcoholism or being on drugs. These classes have to be passed and you have to show up to them every time they are available. Sometimes, you even have to pay to go to classes so that can be a double problem for you. Even if you don't drink a lot or this is a one-time thing you may still have to go to these classes and it can be a little bit difficult to deal with.
The best way to avoid DUI penalties is to not drink when you drive. If you are going to go to a party or a bar, make sure you have a way to get home that doesn't involve you getting behind the wheel. You will regret it if you are pulled over.
Case Law
Since United States laws are so complex, with many statutes directly contradicting each other, that much time must be spent trying to seek out the best interpretation for a client. The law is made even more complicated by the concept of "case law" that does not exist in many other countries. Case law is essentially law as dictated by judges in prior cases as to how a law is to be interpreted. A lawyer must make the argument that based on certain judges' interpretations of similar cases that the judge overseeing a case is compelled to interpret the law how he sees fit. As a result, much of a defense lawyer’s time is spent researching case law and then compiling relevant cases and quotes into briefs that are written to judges. These briefs will also lay out facts of the case that are also collected by attorneys. A criminal attorney might also hire private investigators and expert witnesses to help support a person's innocence or guilt depending on who the attorney is representing. Only once all this work is done, can an attorney go before a judge and confidently plead a case. Being a criminal defense attorney is intense. It is not just a matter of sounding great in front of a judge. Much effort and time is put into developing just the right case. However, it is a still well-paying career that lends itself to a very analytical mind.