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Attorney Tracey Wood's client, a 33-year-old Menasha, Wisconsin woman was resentenced in a drunken driving case linked to allegations of illegal or unethical payments involving attorneys, their clients and a former prosecutor in Winnebago County.

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Post Conviction | New Sentencing | Headlines | Attorney Tracey Wood |Van Wagner & Wood

Judge Orders New Sentence in OWI Case

By Duke Behnke
Post-Crescent staff writer

OSHKOSH - A 33-year-old former Menasha woman will be resentenced in a drunken-driving case linked to allegations of illegal or unethical payments involving attorneys, their clients and a former prosecutor.

Melinda Otto was granted a motion for a new sentence Monday by Winnebago County Circuit Judge Robert Haase on grounds that a 2001 presentence report on Otto contained inaccurate information.

The defendant is entitled to be sentenced on accurate information, Haase said.

Otto, who was not at the hearing Monday, had been sentenced to three years in prison and 17 years of extended supervision by Winnebago County Circuit Judge Tom Gritton on two counts of causing injury by intoxicated use of a vehicle.

She has served 20 months in prison but can be freed on a $2,500 signature bond until her resentencing Sept. 15.

Ottos father, Tim Otto of Appleton, said people convicted of similar crimes have received far lighter sentences.

Maybe she can get a fair sentence this time, he said.

If she would have had a lot of money, she probably wouldnt have did day one in prison, said her mother, Marie Otto .

Otto alleged that her former defense attorney, Richard Bollenbeck of Appleton, assured her that she wouldnt get prison time based on his friendship with former Winnebago County District Attorney Joe Paulus.

Attorney Tracey Wood, a Madison lawyer representing Otto, presented a photo of Bollenbeck and Paulus together that she said Bollenbeck used as a sales pitch.

Bollenbeck invoked his Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination during previous questioning from Wood and Winnebago County Assistant District Attorney Michael Balskus. Bollenbeck was not in court Monday.

Wood said Bollenbeck also failed to read Otto a presentence report that included allegations of alcohol and drug use, and drug trafficking.

She wasnt read the inaccurate information, Wood said. She didnt know it was there.

Wood said she and Balskus had agreed to a recommended sentence for Otto: two years in prison and five years of extended supervision.

Reprinted with permission.

Appeals & Serious Crimes - Homicide - Murder - State - Federal

Drug Crimes

State Drug Charges: Van Wagner & Wood's criminal defense attorneys routinely handle drug related criminal cases for people residing in Wisconsin, and most frequently residing in the following areas: Adams County, WI (Adams, Wisconsin Dells), Ashland County, WI (Ashland), Barron County, WI (Barron), Bayfield County, WI (Washburn, Bayfield), Buffalo County, WI (Buffalo City, Mondovi), Burnett County, WI (Siren), Chippewa County, WI (Chippewa Falls), Clark County, WI (Abbotsford), Columbia County, WI (Columbus, Wisconsin Dells), Crawford County, WI (Prairie du Chien), Dane County, WI (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), Dunn County, WI (Menomonie), Eau Claire County, WI (Abbotsford, Eau Claire), Grant County, WI (Mount Hope, Lancaster, Fennimore), Green County, WI (Monroe), Iowa County, WI (Mineral Point, Dodgeville), Jackson County, WI (Black River Falls), Jefferson County, WI (Jefferson), Juneau County, WI (Mauston), La Crosse County, WI (LaCrosse, Lafayette, Darlington), Marathon County, WI (Wausau), Monroe County, WI (Sparta), Pepin County, WI (Durand), Pierce County, WI (River Falls), Polk County, WI (St Croix Falls), Portage County, WI (Stevens Point), Price County, WI (Park Falls), Richland County, WI (Richland Center), Rock County, WI (Janesville), Rusk (Ladysmith), St Croix County, WI (Hudson), Sauk County, WI (Sauk City, Wisconsin Dells), Taylor County, WI (Medford), Trempealeau County, WI (Whitehall), Washburn County, WI (Spooner), and Wood County, WI (Wisconsin Dells).

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 charged in the following areas: 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).

Judge Orders New Sentence in OWI Case

By Duke Behnke Post-Crescent staff writer

By Duke Behnke
Post-Crescent staff writer