OWI penalties vary by county, but in Waukesha County, first offense OWI penalties could include a $150 to $300 fine and revocation of your license for 6 to 9 months. In one of the most severe cases, a homicide caused by OWI, the penalty is up to a $100,000 fine, 25-40 years in prison or both.
In 2020, the Brookfield Police Department arrested 138 people for OWI. In total, 1,337 people were arrested for OWI in Waukesha County that same year.
A first-offense OWI is not just a ticket. In addition to driver's license revocation time, potential ignition interlock device requirements, fines, and alcohol classes, studies have shown that a DUI first offense can cost between $20,000 and $40,000 over the span of your life. In addition to those penalties, you may also face a permanent travel ban to Canada and certain other countries, increased insurance premiums, and a loss of any special licenses you hold including a pilot's license or CDL.
Whether you've been charged with your first OWI or a repeat offense, the guidance of a skilled attorney can significantly impact the severity of your sentence. If convicted, your license will be revoked - and improperly obtaining an occupational license afterward or driving outside permitted hours/conditions can create new criminal charges. This could mean further jail time on top of any sentence for the original OWI. A lawyer who understands your specific situation can provide critical counsel on the proper steps to take and help minimize lasting penalties.
Don't fight alone against an OWI. Partnering with the right legal experts makes all the difference in working toward the most favorable outcome possible. When you partner with Grieve Law, you can move forward with the peace of mind that your rights will be protected.
No one ever plans to get an OWI. Most people think it will never happen to them. But even good people have bad days, and mistakes happen. If you find yourself faced with an OWI, you face significant potential penalties, and having experienced lawyers on your side is critical. If you are convicted of any OWI offense you will face a period of driver's license revocation time, potential mandatory ignition interlock device requirements for any vehicle titled or registered in your name, fines in the thousands of dollars, mandatory alcohol classes, limitations on your ability to drive for months or years, and even jail time.
In Wisconsin, we refer to Driving Under the Influence charges as an OWI, but many people refer to them as DUIs. Wisconsin has many different versions of OWI including alcohol impairment, drug impairment, medication impairment, and combinations of alcohol and drugs. It is true that you can be charged with an OWI for driving while taking prescribed medications even if you are taking those medications consistent with the prescription dosage.
Whether this is your first time ever being arrested, or you are facing a repeat charge for OWI, it is important to have an experienced and knowledgeable attorney representing you to get you the best result possible in your OWI case.
In any DUI case, the State must prove that you were:
People often think you cannot be charged with an alcohol OWI if your blood or breath alcohol concentration is below .08, the legal limit for alcohol in Wisconsin. However, this is not accurate. You can be charged with an OWI regardless of your alcohol concentration if you are deemed unsafe to operate your vehicle due to your level of impairment.
Most people charged with a first-offense OWI will not hire an attorney, but you will never get a second chance to challenge a first OWI. The experienced, knowledgeable attorneys at Grieve Law will analyze your case and find the right ways to challenge the state's case.
Grieve Law’s expert team of OWI and criminal defense attorneys have decades of combined experience defending Wisconsin citizens with OWI charges. If you’ve been charged with an OWI, you need a lawyer with a reputation for lessening or dismissing the charges entirely. We are experienced, trained, and focused, and we have a track record for beating cases.
The OWI attorneys at Grieve Law will help you navigate the legal system, understand the paperwork, build your case and reduce the amount of time you spend in court. After you’ve been charged with an OWI, the first 10 days are critical, and you should contact the OWI lawyers at Grieve Law as soon as possible. You need representation from a defense attorney with a record of getting OWI charges reduced or dropped to develop the best possible defense for your case.
The award-winning attorneys at Grieve Law work tirelessly to achieve the best possible outcome for each and every one of our clients. Call us today and rest easy knowing every effort will be made to reach the best possible outcome for your future.
Any OWI conviction will stay on your record for life. If you have only one prior conviction, Wisconsin will look back for 10 years. If your last offense is more than 10 years prior to your current offense, Wisconsin will treat your new offense as a second first offense. However, if you have two or more prior convictions on your record, Wisconsin has a “lifetime look back”. This means that any conviction you have, no matter how long ago, will be counted to increase the level of OWI of your current offense. So even if your last OWI was 20 years ago, you can still be charged with a 3rd offense OWI if you have two prior offenses on your record. Penalties for OWI offenses only increase with the level of OWI. Any 4th offense OWI is a felony that carries potential prison time. A fifth or sixth offense carries a presumptive minimum jail sentence of at least 18 months of initial confinement in prison. A 7th, 8th, or 9th offense carries a mandatory 3 years of initial confinement in prison. Penalties for OWI offenses can add up quickly.
For an attorney who knows how to properly defend an OWI case, there are several defense options. From reviewing the actions of the police in stopping you, questioning you, and conducting standardized field sobriety tests, to reviewing the legality of any breath or blood test, our experienced and knowledgeable Waukesha attorneys will determine your best options to best defend you in your OWI case.
Wisconsin has a statute that prohibits prosecutors and judges from reducing or dismissing an OWI unless it is not against the public interest for them to do so. This means your attorney must convince the State they cannot prove their OWI case against you. You will not be able to negotiate your DUI down to something other than a DUI simply based on your good character, lack of prior record, or any other positive attributes. Wisconsin law simply does not allow for a “good guy” defense.
Grieve Law has the answers. Contact our team of Waukesha attorneys to discuss how we can defend your OWI case today.
Our Brookfield and Waukesha OWI attorneys have the experience and legal knowledge to defend your DUI or OWI charge. We know the arguments prosecutors make and how to respond to them because we have former prosecutors on our team. Contact a Brookfield or Waukesha DUI lawyer today for your free consultation.
