Most people are pulled over by a police officer at one point or another, even if it is just for something small, like forgetting to use a turn signal. A single traffic stop may not have serious consequences, but in Wisconsin, each time you are issued a traffic ticket by an officer, you face more points accumulating on your driving record. If you have too many points, you could eventually have your driving privileges taken away from you. If you have gotten a ticket or you have been pulled over recently, you should speak with a Wisconsin traffic ticket attorney who can help you understand your options.

How Does the Point System Work?

Like most other states, Wisconsin uses a point system to keep track of each driver’s record in an attempt to keep dangerous drivers off of the road. Every time you are issued a traffic ticket, you will also be issued a specific number of points on your driving record for that ticket. More serious violations result in more points. Some of the most common traffic violations and their assigned number of points include:

• Operating a vehicle with a revoked or suspended license: 3 points

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It goes without saying that some crimes are not as serious as others, but even minor crimes are not without their consequences. In many situations involving low-level crimes, judges may choose to sentence a person to community supervision, rather than to a term of confinement in jail. Often, community supervision is the most favorable outcome a person could get for a low-level offense. If you have been accused of committing a crime, you should speak to a Wisconsin criminal defense lawyer to discuss your options.

Types of Community Supervision in Wisconsin

If you are sentenced to a crime, a judge may choose to defer your adjudication and sentence you to a period of community supervision, rather than sending you to jail. In Wisconsin, there are three types of community supervision:

• Probation - The most popular type of community supervision is probation. Most of the time, being sentenced to probation will also come with various requirements that you must obey, such as not possessing a firearm or refraining from using drugs and/or alcohol. Sometimes, probation comes with a withheld sentence, meaning you will not be fully tried in court unless you violate the terms of your probation. In other cases, probation is assigned as an alternative sentence after conviction, and a probation violation would mean you would be subject to the more serious sentence issued at the time of your conviction, including possible fines and jail time.

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When you get into a traffic accident, the proper thing to do is to check for injuries and then exchange contact information so you can work everything out with your insurance companies. In fact, most states require that you do this by law, but it does not stop some people from fleeing the scene when they get into an accident. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were more than an estimated 814,000 hit-and-run crashes that took place across the country in 2019. If you have been accused of being involved in a hit-and-run accident, you should speak with a Wisconsin criminal defense attorney to discuss your options.

Requirements After a Wisconsin Car Accident

If you are involved in a car accident in Wisconsin, there are certain things that you are required by law to do. After you get into a collision in Wisconsin, the law states that you must get out of your vehicle and investigate what you hit. If you hit a person or a vehicle that had a person inside of it, you are required to:

• Give your name, address and vehicle registration number to the other party

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When you are pulled over for a traffic stop and the officer believes you were speeding, one of the first things they will likely say is, “Do you know how fast you were going?” Many people do not even realize when they are speeding. It can be extremely easy for the speedometer to inch up and eventually move past the legal speed limit. Most people would simply accept their fate, pay the fine, and move on with their lives. However, paying the fine on a speeding ticket is an admission of guilt and can come with further consequences in some circumstances. If you have received a speeding ticket, you should consult with an attorney to determine how paying the ticket would affect your situation.

Penalties for a Speeding Ticket

Most of the time, when you receive a speeding ticket in Wisconsin, it is only charged as a moving violation. This means that the main penalty for the offense is only a fine. According to Wisconsin law, most speeding tickets carry a possibility of fines between a minimum of $30 and a maximum of $300.

In addition to fines, a speeding ticket could result in points added to your driving record. In Wisconsin, a person with a normal driver’s license can face a license suspension if they accumulate more than 12 points in a 12-month period. The length of the suspension depends on the number of points accumulated. For example, if you were to accumulate 30 points in a 12-month period, you would face a year-long license suspension.

Many times, criminal cases do not even go to trial. People often utilize plea bargains or other deals to help avoid some of the more harsh penalties that can come with certain criminal convictions. However, if the case does proceed to trial, the fate of the person then rests with the jury. Once both sides have presented their cases and the jury is given all of the evidence, they are then responsible for returning a verdict. However, this verdict is not always favorable. If you are convicted of a crime and you believe your conviction is unjust, you may be able to request an appeal to have your case looked at again.

Filing a Criminal Appeal

In the legal world, time limitations are extremely important. In criminal cases, appeals will only be accepted if they are filed within 20 days of the date you were sentenced or the final judgment. Once the clerk of the circuit court receives your Notice of Intent to Pursue Postconviction or Postdisposition Relief, they will then send you or your attorney various documents and information. You are required to file a Motion for Postconviction or Postdisposition Relief with the circuit court before you can file a Notice of Appeal, unless the appeal is based on insufficient evidence or issues that were previously raised during the case. If you filed a Motion for Postconviction or Postdisposition Relief, you must wait until the circuit court rules on it before you can file a Notice of Appeal.

Results of an Appeal

The appellate court is then tasked with the responsibility of examining all of the information supplied to them by both parties. The appellate court will make its decision and then put the decision into a document called an “opinion.” The opinion is then mailed to both parties, containing the basic information about the case, the court’s stance as to whether or not the circuit court made a mistake, and the court’s decision. In most cases, there are four possible outcomes of an appeal. The appellate court could: