Attorney Christopher T. Van Wagner awarded Super Lawyers, Best Lawyers & Warrior of the Year.
National College for DUI Defense names Tracey A. Wood to Board of Regents. Attorney Wood first ever Wisconsin attorney and first female appointed to board.
Wisconsin Court of Appeals overturns conviction for refusing to submit to a test. Wood argued appeal.
JUST RELEASED! In 1917 a bomb exploded in a Milwaukee police station, killing nine officers and a civilian. Those responsible never were apprehended, but police, press, and public all assumed that the perpetrators were Italian. Days later, eleven alleged Italian anarchists went to trial on unrelated charges involving a fracas that had occurred two months before. Against the backdrop of World War I, and amidst a prevailing hatred and fear of radical immigrants, the Italians had an unfair trial. The specter of the larger, uncharged crime of the bombing haunted the proceedings and assured convictions of all eleven. Although Clarence Darrow led an appeal that gained freedom for most of the convicted, the celebrated lawyer's methods themselves were deeply suspect. The entire case left a dark, if hidden, stain on American justice.
Largely overlooked for almost a century, the compelling story of this case emerges vividly in this meticulously researched book by Dean A. Strang. In its focus on a moment when patriotism, nativism, and terror swept the nation, Worse than the Devil exposes broad concerns that persist even today as the United States continues to struggle with administering criminal justice to newcomers and outsiders.
“In engaging prose and with a terrific eye for detail, Strang gives us the full story of a fascinating—and almost forgotten—moment of conflict from Milwaukee's past. His book explores debates over civil liberties and terrorism, immigration and radicalism as they were lived and fought over a century ago.”—Beverly Gage, author of The Day Wall Street Exploded: A Story of America in its First Age of Terror
Drunk Driving Defense provides hard-hitting tactics every step of the way, from the administrative license suspension hearing, to the pretrial investigation, to cross-examination of police and expert witnesses, and finally to the jury summation itself. You'll be fully briefed on the statutory and case law, evidentiary issues and procedures applied in federal and state courts nationwide.
With Drunk Driving Defense, you'll discover practice-proven DUI defense strategies and techniques on:
Increasing the odds of success at the administrative license suspension hearing
Using pretrial discovery and suppression motions to weaken a case or get it dismissed
Discrediting field sobriety tests using leading-edge techniques
Using newly-developed voir dire strategies to help lay the foundation for a solid defense and a powerful jury summation
Strengthening your case using recent developments in breath, blood and urine analysis
You'll also find clear explanations of key scientific and technological issues, and practical tools to streamline case preparation and presentation.
"Driving under the influence of alcohol, or "drunk driving" as it is usually called, is the most commonly committed crime in the United States..."
Clear explanations of key scientific and technological issues for DUI lawyers. Drunk Driving Defense ensures that you understand the chemical, biological and technological concepts and issues underlying drunk driving defense and prosecution. Rely on expert DUI lawyers Taylor and Oberman to bring you up to speed in key areas including:
The key defects inherent in blood and breath analysis and testing.
The correlation between blood alcohol concentration and actual impairment.
The effects of stress and cold weather on alcohol absorption.
How fermentation of the blood sample may raise blood alcohol levels.
The effect of acetone in breath tests taken by diabetics and dieters.
Possible errors in breath analysis due to RFI (radio frequency interference).
The effect of trauma from an automobile accident on alcohol elimination
Attorney Tracey A. Wood is a contributing author to Drunk Driving Defense by Lawrence Taylor and Stephen Oberman. The book is available through Amazon.com, NCDD, and Aspen Publishing.
The Wisconsin "Supreme Court used the United States Supreme Court case of United Stated v. Curtis, 511 U.S. 485 (1994) as its model in Hahn. United States v. Curtis essentially held that a defendant may not collaterally attack prior convictions in a current federal prosecution in a current federal prosecution unless the prior conviction involved a violation of the right to counsel."
Attorney Tracey A. Wood said, "Prosecutors are stepping up their efforts against prescription OWI DUI (“drugged drivers”), but DUI defense attorneys are taking them on, and often winning" in a recent article published in Lawyers USA (formerly Lawyers Weekly).
Community Support
Van Wagner & Wood, S.C., a Madison, Wisconsin based criminal defense and drunk driving defense law firm has sponsored several community events throughout the years that have provided opportunities for children to gain exposure to theatre, and experiences in music, arts, and acting. The attorneys at Van Wagner & Wood often present at local high schools, the University of Wisconsin - Madison, and middle schools to inform students about various topics including the hazards of drinking and driving and a career choice in law.
Van Wagner & Wood's attorneys also participate in various Wisconsin State Bar and Ethics programs, such as the 2007 Office of Lawyer Regulation meeting.
Van Wagner & Wood - Wisconsin Criminal & DUI Defense Law Firm - is located at 1 North Pinckney Street, Suite 300, Madison WI 53703.
Van Wagner & Wood was previously located at 1, Madison WI 53703.
Will Attorneys Van Wagner & Wood Represent Me?
Regardless of the charges against you, the attorneys at Van Wagner & Wood will defend you. The areas defined below are for your convenience in determining if the area where you live is one that the attorneys frequently appear. You will note that the areas are separated by geographic location; the attorneys at Van Wagner & Wood tend to frequently appear in these courts.
Appeals & Serious Crimes - Homicide - Murder
Van Wagner & Wood's criminal defense lawyers handle appeals to both the Appellate Court and the Supreme Court, as well as both state and Federal court systems for people convicted of a crime who believe their conviction or sentence were wrong. Most often, the appeals that they handle are to federal court because very few attorneys handle these types of appeals; Attorney Chris Van Wagner was a US Attorney in Wisconsin before entering private practice. Often times, people from across the United States hire Attorney Van Wagner for a Federal or a state appeal for serious crimes including homicide, RICO (Racketeering), felony murder, negligent homicide, vehicular homicide, or sexual assault. Attorney Tracey Wood handles appeals to Wisconsin State Court of Appeals and Wisconsin Supreme Court for charges or convictions stemming from a Wisconsin trial.
Federal Crimes
Former Federal prosecutor, Attorney Chris Van Wagner, handles Federal cases, which includes Federal drug crimes and other Federal criminal charges.
Drug Crimes
The criminal defense attorneys at Van Wagner & Wood handle cases involving drug offenses in which the accusation is made by either a state or a Federal prosecutor, arrests by state officials or Federal agents, and other drug cases such as those handled by the DEA.
Van Wagner & Wood's criminal defense lawyers represent people located across the state of Wisconsin in matters involving state drug charges including Adams (Adams, Wisconsin Dells), Ashland (Ashland), Barron (Barron), Bayfield (Washburn, Bayfield), Buffalo (Buffalo City, Mondovi), Burnett (Siren), Chippewa (Chippewa Falls), Clark (Abbotsford), Columbia (Columbus), Crawford (Prairie du Chien), Dane (Belleville, Black Earth, Blue Mounds, Brooklyn, Cambridge, Cottage Grove, Cross Plains, Dane, Deerfield, DeForest, Fitchburg, McFarland, Madison, Maple Bluff, Marshall, Mazomanie, Middleton, Monona, Mount Horeb, Oregon, Rockdale, Shorewood Hills, Stoughton, Sun Prairie, Verona, Waunakee, Windsor), Douglas (Superior), Dunn (Menomonie), Eau Claire (Abbotsford, Eau Claire), Grant (Mount Hope, Lancaster, Fennimore), Green (Monroe), Iowa (Mineral Point, Dodgeville), Jackson (Black River Falls), Jefferson (Jefferson), Juneau (Mauston), La Crosse (LaCrosse, Lafayette, Darlington), Marathon (Wausau), Monroe (Sparta), Pepin (Durand), Pierce (River Falls), Polk (St Croix Falls), Portage (Stevens Point), Price (Park Falls), Richland (Richland Center), Rock (Janesville), Rusk (Ladysmith), St Croix (Hudson), Sauk (Sauk City), Taylor (Medford), Trempealeau (Whitehall), Washburn (Spooner), and Wood (Wisconsin Dells) counties.
Drunk Driving (OWI, DUI, DWI)
Wisconsin's foremost authority on drunk driving laws, Attorney Tracey Wood, consults with lawyers and law firms throughout the United States to help them build successful strategies for very complex cases. In Wisconsin, Attorney Wood most frequently represents people located in Madison (Dane County), Richland Center (Richland County), La Crosse (La Crosse County), Jefferson (Jefferson County), Wisconsin Dells (Columbia County and Sauk County), Stevens Point (Portage County), Dodgeville and Mineral Point (Iowa County), Portage (Columbia County) and Montello (Marquette County).
Sexual Assault & Sex Crimes
Van Wagner & Wood's attorneys represent people in matters involving sex crimes such as sexual assault, aggravated assault, computer crimes involving pornography, child pornography, and solicitation. Their clients often reside in Dane (Madison, Middleton, Monona, Fitchburg), Green (Monroe), Lafayette (Darlington), Dodge (Beaver Dam, Waupun), Portage (Stevens Point), Wood (Wisconsin Rapids), Sauk (Wisconsin Dells), Columbia (Columbus), Richland (Richland Center) and Juneau (Mauston) area.
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