The honest answer
You do not need a lawyer because the case is mysterious. You need a lawyer if the case can still be changed. Once you plead, most of the useful defense work is gone. The better sequence is simple: review the file first, understand the license and record consequences second, then decide whether the case should be negotiated, litigated, or resolved.
Before you plead: send us the citation, the Notice of Intent to Revoke if you received one, and the court date. We will tell you what is urgent, what can wait, and whether the case has a realistic defense angle.
You should call before pleading if any of these fit
- You received a Notice of Intent to Revoke or any refusal paperwork with a 10-day deadline.
- Your BAC is listed at .15 or higher, which can raise ignition-interlock issues on a first offense.
- You were in a crash, had a passenger under 16, or someone claims an injury.
- You hold a CDL, drive for work, or need a clean motor vehicle record for employment.
- The stop began with weak facts, a lane-position claim, an equipment issue, an anonymous tip, or a video that may not match the report.
What we look for in a first OWI review
The stop
The State needs a lawful reason for the stop. A weak stop can remove the evidence that followed. We compare the report to the squad video, dispatch notes, body camera, and any witness facts.
The arrest decision
Field sobriety tests are not magic. Road surface, weather, footwear, medical conditions, lighting, and officer instructions can change the meaning of the results. We look for gaps between the test protocol and what actually happened.
The chemical test
Breath and blood results depend on process. Breath cases raise observation period, mouth alcohol, calibration, and operator issues. Blood cases raise warrant, draw, storage, lab, and chain-of-custody issues.
The license track
The court case and the license case are related but not identical. A first OWI can involve administrative review, refusal litigation, occupational licensing, SR-22 insurance, and IID questions. These need to be handled in the right order.
What if the evidence is strong?
Then the work shifts from trial posture to damage prevention. That can mean confirming the penalty tier, protecting eligibility for an occupational license, preventing avoidable IID problems, correcting prior-counting mistakes, and negotiating for the best available resolution. A good review is still useful even when the end result is not dismissal.
What to do now
- Do not plead guilty or pay the forfeiture before reviewing the case.
- Send clear photos of every page the officer gave you.
- Mark the court date and any 10-day deadline on your calendar.
- Call or text (262) 632-5000 for a free review.
We are trying to prevent the penalties where the law gives us a path. That may mean dismissal, reduction, avoiding an OWI prior, preserving a license option, or keeping a bad fact from becoming worse. The first step is reviewing the case before the plea.
