Tracey Wood & Associates - Criminal Defense and Immigration Law

Defense Attorney Tracey Wood Drunk Driving Attorney Tracey Wood is a Super Lawyer in Wisconsin
(608) 350-1004

     Attorney Tracey A. Wood , owner of Tracey Wood & Associates is an aggressive criminal defense attorney in Madison, Wisconsin.    She focuses her practice on defending the rights of individuals whether they are charged with drunken driving or more severe criminal charges including murder, sex crimes in Wisconsin, federal conspiracy or seeking an expungement of a previous conviction.
   She is known throughout the legal community as the foremost authority on Wisconsin OWI DUI laws and has been hailed for her defenses and successful trial and case record.
   Ms. Wood has been pioneering new frontiers for women in law since she entered practice in 1992. She is the first attorney from Wisconsin ever appointed as a Standardized Field Sobriety Test Instructor, and first Wisconsin attorney to be appointed to the Board of Regents to the National College for DUI Defense held at Harvard Law School. She chairs the Wisconsin Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers Strike Force for the state's largest association for criminal defense lawyers and has previously served as the President of that organization. She has authored several articles on defense against drunk driving charges including Challenging Prior Under Influence Convictions, an article discussing U.S. v. Gant in the Wisconsin Law Journal, and she has contributed to the national DUI attorneys' bible by Taylor & Oberman, entitled "Drunk Driving Defense".
   She has also won many appeals in both the Wisconsin Appellate System (most recently City of Beloit v. Steven Herbst) and the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago (i.e. U.S. v. Andres Perez).

Super Lawyer Tracey Wood defends people charged with OWI or DUI
Super Lawyer Tracey Wood defends people charged with OWI or DUI
Super Lawyer Tracey Wood defends people charged with OWI or DUI
NCDD National College for DUI Defense: Tracey Wood
(608) 350-1004

Criminal Charges


A criminal charge is not a conviction. A criminal charge is an accusation. Whenever a person is charged with a crime or drunk driving, the state is making an allegation, which the state must prove.

If the state proves its case, then the defendant is convicted of the crime or crimes. Subsequently, the defendant will be sentenced to imprisonment in a state or Federal prison, to jail time in a county or local jail, or to probation, and may be assessed a monetary penalty (called a fine or forfeiture) in addition to the jail or prison time, or in lieu of the jail or prison time.

Under Wisconsin law, crimes are classified by their penalties (the amount of jail or prison time, the amount of fines or forfeitures, or both). The most serious types of crimes are felonies, which carry at least one year (and usually more) imprisonment in the state (or federal) prison, fines, or both. Misdemeanors carry a year or less jail time, fines, or both. And finally, non-criminal charges carry fines.

Noncriminal charges, such as a first drunk driving offense, are often viewed as trivial matters. But even a first offense drunk driving conviction can have devastating effects upon a person's life. Anytime you are charged with an offense, you should consult with an attorney right away. /br>

Criminal Complaint


A criminal complaint (or an information) is a document prepared by the prosecuting office. The criminal complaint provides the defendant's identity and informs the defendant of the allegations (alleged criminal charges) being made against that defendant. A criminal complaint should include the statute citation and crime being charged, the victim if applicable, and the date and time at which the alleged crime occurred. However, an information is not required to include such detail. For example, a criminal complaint alleging multiple counts of sexual assault of a minor child may use the charge, "Sexual Assault Of A Minor, Repeated Acts", which means that the prosecutor is alleging that more than one sexual assault occurred, but is not specifically stating the exact dates upon which those assaults allegedly occurred.

Felony Charges


The most severe criminal charge is a felony. The general rule of thumb for distinguishing a felony from a misdemeanor is the prison term of the sentence. Felonies usually provide for a minimum prison sentence of one or more years in a state or Federal prison; conversely, misdemeanors usually provide one year or less in a county or local jail. Felony convictions often include monetary penalties (fines or forfeitures), which may be assessed upon the convicted defendant along with a prison sentence or as is rarely the case, in lieu of a prison sentence.
Sentences for a felony conviction range from one year up to life, and in some instances can include multiple non-consecutive life sentences. A non-consecutive sentence means that the sentences imposed upon the convicted felon may not be served simultaneously, rather, they must be served consecutively (one after the other).

A felony conviction remains on a person's criminal record indefinitely. After a felony conviction, the defendant permanently looses certain rights and privileges previously granted by the Constitution of the United States, such as the right to vote or the right to bear arms.

Misdemeanor Charges


All crimes that are not felonies are misdemeanors. Typically, a misdemeanor conviction is punishable by less than one year in county jail or fines, or both. However, some misdemeanor penalties can exceed a one year term. Misdemeanors also remain on a person's criminal record. Those charges may include sex crimes, drug crimes, white collar crimes, and many other crimes that are considered lesser offenses in the eyes of the legal system, but have gravely detrimental effects on a person's life and future.

Federal Or State Charges


Any crime proscribed (prohibited by law and defined under the law) by both US Federal law and Wisconsin state law can be charged by both the Federal government and Wisconsin state government. In some cases, crimes are charged by both. In most cases, one or the other government brings criminal charges.

Conflicting defenses are often handled in the same manner. For example, entrapment under federal law will allow a defendant to both assert an entrapment defense and deny any wrongdoing. Conversely, Wisconsin law does not allow a defendant to assert both pleas.

Federal charges are prosecuted by a federal attorney, whereas state charges are prosecuted by a district attorney. Federal charges are tried in a federal court by a federal judge; state charges are tried in a state, county or municipal court, depending upon the charge and the trial procedure.

All state appeals are tried by the Wisconsin Court of Appeals. All federal appeals are tried by the US Court of Appeals.

Supreme Court cases in Wisconsin are heard by the Wisconsin State Supreme Court. US Supreme Court cases are heard by the Supreme Court.

Wisconsin Criminal Defense Lawyers


The attorneys at Tracey Wood & Associates are experienced criminal defense lawyers. Attorney Tracey Wood will represent you regardless of the charges. Once enlisted, she will take steps to avoid charges from being filed whenever possible. Often times, they have persuaded prosecutors to drop charges even when strong evidence existed proving that the crime was committed. If charges are filed, you can be reassured that those attorneys will use their more than thirty combined years of criminal defense experience to defend you and seek the best possible outcome.

Free Initial Consultation

If you are under investigation for a crime or drunk driving offense, if you have already been charged with a crime or drunk driving violation, or if you have already been convicted but believe your conviction or your sentence were wrong, please call (608) 350-1004 or e-mail the attorneys at Tracey Wood & Associates right away. They will give you a brief but professional “first-impression” analysis of your case and your situation, which will allow you to take an important first step in defending the case against you.

Madison Wisconsin's Best Criminal Defense Lawyer

The criminal defense lawyers of Tracey Wood & Associates defend people in Wisconsin who are under investigation for serious crimes, or who have already been charged with a serious crime such as negligent homicide, or who have already been convicted of a serious crime but believe their conviction or their sentence were wrong. For a confidential professional first analysis of the case against you, please contact the firm right away.

Tracey Wood & Associates Will Defend You

Regardless of the charges against you, the criminal defense lawyers at Tracey Wood & Associates will defend you. When you place your trust in the hands of Tracey Wood & Associates attorneys, you can rest assuredly that you have done all that you can to ensure the best possible outcome. The criminal defense lawyers at Tracey Wood & Associates have won several outright acquittals for their clients, and while there are no guarantees, their record clearly reflects their hard work, their intelligent and professional approach to their cases, and their skill in developing a strategy that fits an individual client’s case, while drawing upon their knowledge, experience and skill from past cases.

Free Confidential Initial Consultation

If you are under investigation for a crime, or if you have already been charged with a crime, or if you were convicted of a crime and believe your conviction or sentence were wrong, contact Attorney Tracey Wood right away for a confidential free professional first-impression analysis of your case and your situation, which will allow you to take an important first step in defending the case against you.

Experienced Criminal Defense Lawyers

Attorney Tracey Wood is one of few lawyers in the country consulted by a majority of criminal defense lawyers while they are preparing a legal strategy for their clients. In a case that made the national headlines a few years ago, Attorney Tracey Wood won an outright acquittal when her client was cleared of any wrongdoing in a wide-ranging and emboldened conspiracy scheme that actually stole missile launchers and military tanks from the Ft. McCoy military base in northern Wisconsin.

Trial or Appeal, State or Federal Court

In addition to this solid and successful trial history, Tracey has also argued and won appeals to the state and federal courts.

Court Approved

In cases where the court appoints an attorney for the defendant, which is not the same as a public defender, the courts require a certain proven level of expertise of the attorney before the court will appoint the lawyer to defend a serious crime.




OWI DUI Attorney Tracey Wood commonly works in the following Counties: Adams, Ashland,Barron,Bayfield,Brown,Buffalo,Burnett,Calumet,Chippewa,Clark,Columbia,Crawford,Dane,Dodge,Door,Douglas,Dunn,Eau Claire,Florence,Fond du Lac,Forest, Grant,Green,Green Lake,Iowa,Iron,Jackson,Jefferson,Juneau,Kenosha,Kewaunee,La Crosse,Lafayette,Langlade,Lincoln,Manitowoc,Marathon,Marinette,Marquette,Menominee, Milwaukee,Monroe,Oconto,Oneida,Outagamie,Ozaukee,Pepin,Pierce,Polk,Portage,Price,Racine,Richland,Rock,Rusk,Sauk,Sawyer,Shawano,Sheboygan,St. Croix,Taylor,Trempealeau, Vernon,Vilas,Walworth,Washburn,Washington,Waukesha,Waupaca,Waushara,Winnebago,Wood

Please take notice that although the law firm of Tracey Wood & Associates website contains a large amount of accurate and useful legal information about drunk driving, OWI, DUI, Sex Crimes, Expungement and other serious crimes, it is not intended to be used as legal advice. Only an attorney can counsel you on your specific case. Please contact the attorney at Tracey Wood & Associates immediately should you find yourself charged with a Drunk Driving in Wisconsin, a DUI (Driving Under the Influence), OWI (Operating Under the Influence) or any other serious crime in Wisconsin at (608) 350-1004. Even if your researching drunk driving laws or sex crime laws in Wisconsin, Lawyer Tracey Wood can assist you.

Attorney Tracey A. Wood , 6605 University Ave Suite 101 Middleton Wisconsin. (608) 350-1004

OWI DUI Sex Crimes Expungement Defense Lawyer Attorney Tracey Wood