One attorney, one case, start to finish
At larger firms, your OWI file moves from an intake paralegal to a junior associate to whoever is available on your court date. You explain your situation three times and still nobody knows the details.
We work differently. The attorney you speak with on your first call is the same attorney who reviews the squad video, files the suppression motion, negotiates with the DA, and stands next to you in court. That continuity matters. Your attorney catches the detail in the officer’s report that contradicts the dashcam, because they read both.
When you have a question about your IID installation or your upcoming court date, you reach a lawyer who knows your case. Not a voicemail tree.
Deep roots in three counties
Our headquarters at 840 Lake Avenue in Racine is six blocks from the Racine County Courthouse. We have appeared in every branch of the criminal division for over 30 years. Our second office at 7001 30th Avenue in Kenosha is minutes from the Kenosha County Courthouse. The Walworth County courthouse in Elkhorn is a 45-minute drive from our Racine office, a route we travel regularly.
Three decades in these courthouses means we understand how each county’s system works: the procedural rhythms, the calendaring patterns, and the prosecution posture that shapes case outcomes.
- Racine County: our home courthouse. OWI/Drug Treatment Court, intake calendars Monday and Thursday, Branches 1–10.
- Kenosha County: border county with Illinois. Illinois DUI convictions count as priors under §343.307 (10-year window at the 2nd-offense tier, back to January 1, 1989 at 3rd-and-above tiers). Branches I–VIII.
- Walworth County: Lake Geneva tourism drives seasonal OWI enforcement spikes. Elkhorn courthouse, frequent OWI calendar.
OWI and DUI: same offense, different name
Wisconsin calls it OWI (Operating While Intoxicated). Illinois calls it DUI. If you were arrested in Kenosha or Walworth County after crossing the border from Illinois, you are facing a Wisconsin OWI charge, and your Illinois DUI history counts. Under §346.65(2)(am), Illinois DUIs count toward a Wisconsin 2nd offense when they fall within 10 years of the new violation, and toward a 3rd or 4th offense all the way back to January 1, 1989. We audit mixed-state prior counts regularly because a misclassified prior can drop a charge by an entire offense tier.
What we handle
This site covers the OWI/DUI side of our practice: from first-offense civil forfeitures to Class H felony fourth-offenses, plus refusal hearings, CDL cases, OWI with a minor passenger, and underage absolute-sobriety violations.
For non-OWI criminal defense (drug charges, domestic violence, violent crime, federal charges, municipal tickets) visit our full-service site at racinelaw.com.
