Saturday, December 19, 2020

OWI Conviction's Public Visibility After Ten Years

 https://www.avvo.com/legal-answers/will-a-10-yr-old-owi-offense--that-has-fallen-off--5059771.html#answer_10229104

Will a 10 yr old OWI offense, that has fallen off my record, show up on a background check?  In Wisconsin, 10 years ago I got an OWI, first and only one, it fell off my record after 5 yrs, will it show up on a background check?

Answer by Jay K. Nixon,

Criminal Defense Attorney in Kenosha, WI , with 40 years of WI legal experience

Yes, any in depth background check using your fingerprints or checking DMV records will still find this ten year old drunken driving. A more casual check, where the HR Department is doing their own quick investigation, would also find it if it was in the WI circuit court system, which has a public website, but possibly not if it was in a municipal court which usually would not have a public website. The DMV retains OWI related traffic records for life, although rumor has it that they really just look back 30 some years. Even though this one appears to have fallen off your record, you will also get a rude surprise if you have another OWI related arrest during your life, since it will still be 3rd offense, subjecting you to up to a year in jail. There are at least a dozen different levels of background checks, the most intense being for federal jobs requiring T-1, Top Secret Clearance. At that level of intensity background investigation, your fingerprints would definitely be run through the FBI's national crime computer (which keeps all arrests where prints were taken).  On lower end of the intensity scale would be a sole proprietor doing his or her own cursory background check of public records for hiring purposes, which search would probably not find a ten year old OWI which was not in circuit court. If we knew where you were applying, however, we might be able to make a better guess what level might apply to the job for which you were applying. Either way, good luck in whatever you are applying for!

Thursday, December 10, 2020

Early Termination Federal Probation for Agreeing to Payroll Deduction of Restitution

https://www.avvo.com/attorney-answers/53548-wi-jay-nixon-1529181/answers.html

If I get off early release from federal probation only if I agree with us attorney office and sign a garnish direct from my social security

 

Bad things happen on probation; sometimes things beyond your control, when someone from your past reaches out. These can lead to revocation and prison, but once probation is terminated, that risk fades away, You therefore have the choice of gambling future liberty in order to save a little money from your checks. For me, the choice would be obvious, but I have the advantage of having worked doing legal aid in many different prisons, back when I was a law student, and seeing the conditions in them firsthand. You, on the other hand, might very well be buying your own ticket for firsthand tour, if you pass on this opportunity to get "off paper." Either way, think it over carefully before you decide. 


Tuesday, December 8, 2020

Lifetime CDL Ban with 2nd OWI's ?

 https://www.avvo.com/legal-answers/authorized/can-you-obtain-a-cdl-with-2-owi--5048818.html?answered=true


Can you obtain a cdl with 2 owi?

A friend says hes getting his cdl but has 2 owi's is it possible to get with 2 owi's on your record?

Jay K. Nixon, Avvo Rating: 10 Criminal Defense Attorney in Kenosha & Janesville, WI

Some analysts say that the lifetime costs of an OWI conviction can exceed $50,000. Disqualification from some higher compensated jobs is only one of them, as demonstrated by this example. Others include years of higher insurance rates, and higher interest rates on loans, due to lower credit ratings which such convictions can give you. This is a reminder of why it is often worthwhile to fight one, if your attorney believes there to be a legitimate chance for success.

Friday, December 4, 2020

"3 Strikes" Sentencing for Felonies in WI

 https://www.avvo.com/attorney-answers/53548-wi-jay-nixon-1529181/answers.html

What happens when you have 3 felonies? Someone I know has a pending third felony, will he go to prison for life? he has one for methamphetamine and the one pending is also for that. the third is for bail jumping.
Jay K. Nixon Avvo Rating: 10 , Criminal Defense Attorney in Kenosha, WI
While WI may not have a formal "3 Strikes" law, it could be almost that bad for older defendants, or any whose life expectancy doesn't exceed the sentence. Leniency does not increase with each "strike," but rather the opposite. 3rd felony convictions (assuming separate arrest dates) might therefore end much worse than the first two. Sentences are a form of communication and if the message is not getting through, the judge is apt to turn up the volume on subsequent visits, in what's known as "progressive discipline." You should therefore help him retain seasoned counsel before he is convicted if you really want to help him.

In Jail 68 hours away from PO with no Transportation

https://www.avvo.com/legal-answers/authorized/does-the-state-of-wisconsin-offer-a-12-month-defer-5045217.html#answer_10210816

Q&A Asked in Kenosha, WI : How much time will I get for failure to appear? I just served a 90 PO sanction and I have to serve the rest of my sentence in a county 3 hours away. When i signed paperwork back in October the CO said I was I was being transferred. Upon my release k was told I need to go there on my own accord. I finally found a ride, but it will be like 68 hours from my release and was told that I would get a failure to report. Its hard to find someone to drive me 3 hours one way when I didn’t know. I understand that excuses don't matter but when I get there how much time will I serve Extra? Note* I got covid from the detention center.
1 attorney answer
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Jay K. Nixon, Avvo Rating: 10 Criminal Defense Attorney in Kenosha & Janesville, WI
Regrettably, if you get revoked for failure to report, you could serve the remaining balance of your entire sentence. I would try writing to the department of corrections to request a more convenient location, and/or transportation assistance. Your original case lawyer might also be able to assist you, so I would definitely look them up and call either way.

Traffic School Judicial Probation is Not Common in WI

 

https://www.avvo.com/legal-answers/authorized/does-the-state-of-wisconsin-offer-a-12-month-defer-5045217.html#answer_10210816

Does the state of Wisconsin offer a 12 month deferral for a speeding ticket?

I was pulled over on 11/03/2020 for going 15mph over in a 55 mph zone. This is my first speeding offense in nine years of driving. I have no other tickets and have a clean criminal record. I was only pulled over once in Minnesota but was given a verbal warning. I would like to mitigate this offense down to a lesser charge.

   1 attorney answer

 

Jay K. Nixon

Jay K. Nixon,   Avvo Rating: 10 Criminal Defense Attorney in Kenosha & Janesville, WI

I would retain counsel and instruct them to get you the best deal possible. The exact outcome is impossible to predict, since final offers are made by the prosecutor and need to be approved by the judge. Your attorney can only make suggestions, one of which might be for amendment to a lesser violation, and your odds of getting one of those would improve greatly with experienced counsel. Either way, however, we all wish you the best of luck, and encourage you not to overthink this, since it is, after all, just a speeding ticket. Luckily, your license is not in trouble, but the best way to keep it that way is to get the best possible deal on every citation...

· 1 comment:   P.S., While 12 month deferrals are commonplace in Northern IL, they are a rarity in WI courts.

Tuesday, December 1, 2020

 

https://www.avvo.com/legal-answers/authorized/what-are-my-options----i-subcontracted-work-from-a-5039532.html?answered=true

What are my options... I subcontracted work from a home improvement company and they are not paying my company ...Subcontract home improvement work … convinced me to sign no lien waiver in order to get my check because they were going out of town… there was no check it was paperwork … it's not the first time that this company has held money over head to make us do things and basically stole money from us

Answer by Atty. Jay K. Nixon, Bankruptcy Atty. with offices in both Kenosha and Janesville, WI, Avvo Rating: 10    In WI, subcontractors who do not waive their lien rights before the job can file home improvement liens directly against the homeowner if they are not paid, but this can only be done during a very short window of time. You therefore urgently need legal counsel to assert it. Once recorded, a valid lien would force the homeowner to pay you if they ever try to sell or refinance the property, and also protects you from possible bankruptcy of the prime contractor who brought you into the job. Foreclose of the lien is also sometimes possible, although your lien will usually be lower on the money food chain than the primary lender's mortgage. Also analyze whether the before-the-fact lien waiver you signed was really valid, since failure of consideration usually voids a contract such as an agreement to waive a lien. Obviously, signing the waiver without first seeing the payment check in front of you was a very bad idea, but if you can prove a direct lie made with intent to defraud you on that transaction, you could certainly also sue for civil fraud and there might be a chance that you could convince a law enforcement agency to bring criminal charges against the contractor. Either way, yours in an extremely common problem for subcontractors whose lack of legal sophistication allows general contractors to take advantage them, but we all wish you the best of luck.