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

Prior OWI Drunk Driving Convictions



Tracey Wood & Associates
Wisconsin Criminal Defense Lawyers


Wisconsin Drunk Driving Law - OWI (DUI DWI)



Under Wisconsin law, if you have past drunk driving convictions or refusal revocations, you're probably subject to higher penalties for a new drunk driving. But, even though you may fall into one of these categories, these penalties may not apply to you if the court didn't follow proper procedures in the past case.

The statutes state that a second drunk driving within ten years of a first drunk driving or refusal revocation, counted from dates of violation, is a second offence. Third offenses count all past drunk driving and refusal revocations in your lifetime, though DOT records generally don't go back past January 1, 1988, and convictions before that date actually are not counted. Convictions and refusal revocations from other states also count.

But, if your past conviction or convictions resulted from a guilty or no contest plea and that past conviction resulted in your going to jail, then the court which accepted that plea was required to follow specified procedures to assure that the plea was a knowing and voluntary waiver of your right to a jury trial, privilege against self incrimination and, if you didn't have a lawyer, your right to counsel. If those procedures were not followed -- and many judges have taken shortcuts in plea proceedings because they were trying to do them quickly -- then the plea is probably Constitutionally invalid. If so, it may not be counted as a prior offense in determining the grade of the present case, i.e., second, third, etc.

In Wisconsin, there is a "step-up" method for handling multiple OWI convictions for the same person; however, it does matter where you were previously convicted. (Refer to: Attorney Tracey Wood’s article regarding Challenging Prior Drunk Driving Convictions in another state).

Wisconsin Drunk Driving Law prohibits and defines it as an illegal activity in Wisconsin for a driver over the age of 21, with no OWI (Operating While Intoxicated) convictions to operate a motor vehicle, with a Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of 0.08 or greater, while under the influence of an intoxicant, or while under the influence of a controlled substance or any other drug. According to Wisconsin Drunk Driving Law, a driver is "under the influence" when his or her ability to operate a motor vehicle is impaired.

OWI number 1: On a first OWI conviction there may be a fine ranging between $150-$300, plus $355 surcharge with a suspension or revocation of your driving privileges ranging between 6-9 months; however, an occupational license can usually be availed immediately or your driving privileges may be retained while charges are pending provided a request for a hearing is filed within 10 days of the date of the violation and you prevail at that hearing.

As the number of OWI conviction increases, the penalties accordingly increase, having a fine ranging between $600 - $10,000, with $355 surcharge and a possible jail term ranging between 6 months to 6 years.

OWI-DUI-DWI charges can be much more severe if the person is found and proved guilty of causing injury, causing great bodily harm, or vehicular homicide. Those fines can reach up to $100,000 and a possible jail term of 25 years. Additionally, these more severe actions may also result in civil lawsuits. For drivers with three previous OWI convictions, the limit is lower: they are not allowed to operate a motor vehicle if their blood alcohol content is greater than 0.02.

Challenging invalid prior convictions is an essential component of proper defense of a third or subsequent offense drunk driving case. Nonetheless, it is a defense which is frequently overlooked. If you are charged with a third or greater offense drunk driving, it is important that you select an attorney who is familiar with the grounds for Constitutional challenges to past convictions.

Past convictions may be challenged in a new case without reopening the old one.

Because first offense cases are not considered criminal, the validity of past convictions normally is an issue only in third and greater offense cases, i.e., only when a challenged past conviction was itself criminal.

Free but professional "first-impression" analysis

If you are under investigation or have been arrested for any crime, or if you have already been convicted of a crime and believe your conviction to be wrong or your sentence too harsh, please call (608) 350-1004 or email the Attorneys at Tracey Wood & Associates right away. An Attorney at Tracey Wood & Associates will provide you with a brief but professional free "first-impression" analysis of your appeal based on the facts that you are able to convey. You can also submit your case online or email the attorneys.




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