Eau Claire Criminal Defense Blog

Wisconsin police will likely increase their roadway presence during the holidays, as is common in most states when state troopers and local police departments set up roadblocks and surveillance to try to catch and remove drunk drivers from the road. Being charged with OWI is definitely no small matter, even if a specific incident is the first time a particular person has ever been in legal trouble. It is a fact that the number of collisions that are alcohol-related tend to increase during a holiday season.

That is why it is so important for party-goers to have a plan in mind for how to avoid getting pulled over for suspected intoxication. Knowledge is a key factor toward travel safety. There are many myths associated with alcohol. Researching legitimate sources of information to better understand fact from fiction is a good idea, preferably before one consumes alcohol and especially before one gets behind the wheel to drive.

Wisconsin police claim to have received tips regarding a 46-year-old man, and those tips led them to believe he was involved in illegal drug activity. While it is unclear what, if any, connection the man in question has with a local business, police executed a search at the business that ultimately led to the man's arrest. He is now facing serious charges for multiple drug crimes.

It is not the first time the man has been charged with drug crimes. He was convicted in Pennsylvania for similar offenses in 2006. In this instance, police not only searched the place of business mentioned earlier but also searched the defendant's home. During that search, officers claimed to have seized a substantial amount of methamphetamine and marijuana. Police also claim the man had illegal possession of a firearm, given the fact that he was convicted of a felony crime in another state.

Operating while impaired is a criminal charge no Wisconsin motorist wants to face. The penalties under conviction can be quite severe. There is a lot of controversy surrounding the topic of breath tests. Some people say a driver is wise to refuse to comply to a roadside test; others believe it is always best to submit upon request. What many people do not realize, however, is that numerous issues can prompt a false positive on a breath test, which can lead to an OWI arrest.

Breath test devices are not foolproof. In fact, results can be highly inaccurate. For instance, what a person had to eat in the hours leading up to the test can affect its results. Yeast is an ingredient in many breads and baked goods; when it reacts with other ingredients in a product, it can create trace amounts of alcohol that may trigger a breath test device into a positive result. 

Binge drinking is a popular pastime among high school and college students. Unfortunately, many of them do not realize how dangerous it is to get behind the wheel following this kind of drinking bout.

A car crash is the main cause of death for teenagers. Consuming any amount of alcohol poses a risk to a young driver, but binge drinking is especially problematic.