wisconsin drunk driving

OWI - DUI - DWI

A drunk driving charge under Wisconsin drunk driving laws is called an OWI, which stands for operating while under the influence. An OWI charge is the same as a DUI charge - it alleges that the driver of a motorized vehicle was under the influence while driving. The influencing agent can be any intoxicant such as alcohol, illegal drugs such as cocaine or marijuana, or legal drugs that impair driving.

Potential drunk driving Charges, Sentences & Fines

People accused of drunk driving can receive two tickets for the drunk driving offense. One of the tickets is for driving under the influence (the OWI ticket), and the other is for violating Wisconsin's prohibited alcohol content level laws (the PAC ticket). Actual drunk driving charges depend on several factors, such as if the person had previously been convicted of a drunk driving offense in this or any other state, had refused to submit to a sobriety test, and the number of prior convictions or refusals. Penalties for a drunk driving conviction increase as the number of convictions (or refusals) increases.

Wisconsin's Foremost Authority on Drunk Driving Laws

Wisconsin's first ever lawyer to be appointed to the Board of Regents for the National College of DUI Defense, Attorney Tracey A. Wood is president of the Wisconsin Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, past president of the Dane County Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, author of Challenging Prior Under the Influence Convictions, and contributing author to DUI Defense.

Attorney Tracey A. Wood frequently represents people who have been charged with a drunk driving offense including operating while under the influence, refusing to submit to a sobriety test, operating a motorized vehicle after revocation, operating a motorized vehicle during driver's license suspension, and vehicular homicide or injury by use of a motorized vehicle.

Legal Limits

The legal limit of alcohol in a person's bloodstream is directly related to their age, the number of prior convictions (or test refusals), and their occupation.

Minors are prohibited from driving with any trace of alcohol in their system. For more information about minors and driving, please refer to zero tolerance.

A person who has never been stopped for suspicion of driving while under the influence is prohibited from driving with a .08 BAC (blood alcohol content level). Refusals count as prior convictions.

A person who has previously been convicted of drunk driving (or refusing to submit to an alcohol test to determine drunkenness) is prohibited from driving with a .02 BAC (blood alcohol level).

Determining Drunkenness

Whether or not a person is drunk is a major factor in determining which charge will be brought against them by the prosecuting attorney, and an even greater factor in determining whether or not they can be convicted of the offense. To determine if a person is "over the legal limits" and therefore drunk, police will often request that the person submit to a sobriety test under Wisconsin's implied content laws. The test may consist only of standardized field sobriety tests (often called field tests), or it may also involve chemical tests. One of the tests used by police requires a blood draw in order to conduct a blood test and measure the percentage of alcohol in the person's bloodstream. A blood alcohol chart can show the possible effects of drinks in a person's system based on the number of drinks consumed and the person's body weight.

Free Initial Consultation

If you have been arrested for drunk driving, please call ( locally in Madison, Wisconsin, or nationally), or submit your information for a brief, but professional "first-impression" analysis of your case.

[Click here to request a free initial consultation]

If you need us, we'll be there.