Wisconsin could have new DUI laws soon

 Posted on February 22, 2017 in OWI

The government of Wisconsin, along with a prominent group of bar owners, is looking to change the way the state deals with repeat DUI offenders. The Badger State saw 24,000 convictions in 2015 for DUIs, which averages out to 66 per day.

A new legislative package being introduced is designed to make the penalties for drunk driving harsher:

• It would change the minimum sentence for a drunk driving homicide to five years.
• It would change the six-month minimum sentence for five- and six-time offenders to 18 months.
• It would add prosecution for drivers who were caught driving without the court-imposed ignition interlock device. This would be on top of any penalties for driving without a license.

Previous bills like the ones being considered now have failed because of the increased costs it would add to every Wisconsin taxpayer's annual bill. The new legislation doesn't include anything about upgraded penalties for first-time offenders. Right now, first offenses are treated like a traffic violation rather than a criminal offense.

Whatever you think of the new legislation, the fact remains that there are stiff penalties for DUI convictions. You can lose your driver's license, pay a huge fine and your insurance premiums are sure to skyrocket. If someone is killed or injured, you're looking at jail time and more.

That's why it's important to have an experienced attorney by your side. A DUI attorney may be able to investigate your arrest and use their experience to get your charges reduced or dropped altogether.

Source: Stevenspointjournal.com, "Wisconsin drunken driving bills get Tavern League support," Jason Stein, February 4, 2017