Legal News

Wis. prosecutor: Sex ed rules could mean charges

A Wisconsin prosecutor is warning sex education teachers they could face charges if they follow a new state law that allows them to instruct students about proper contraceptive use.

A letter sent to five school districts by Juneau County District Attorney Scott Southworth said the instruction could amount to contributing to the delinquency of a minor if teachers know students are sexually active. He said the districts should drop sex education until the law is repealed.

Southworth also argued that teaching contraceptive use encourages sexual behavior among children, which equates to sexual assault because minors can't legally have sex in Wisconsin.

"Depending on the specific facts of a case ... this encouragement and advocacy could lead to criminal charges," Southworth, a Republican, wrote to districts in his county.

The law's chief author, state Rep. Tamara Grigsby, D-Milwaukee, dismissed the March 24 letter as a scare tactic.

Wis. court backs $5.6M fee award against Microsoft

An appeals court is ordering Microsoft Corp. to pay $5.6 million to a national law firm involved in a Wisconsin antitrust case against the software giant.

Zelle, Hofmann, Voelbel & Mason LLP represented consumers who bought Microsoft equipment in Wisconsin. A 2007 settlement required Microsoft to give customers vouchers up to $23 plus millions in technology reimbursements for public schools.

Microsoft claimed the firm should not receive any fees because its attorneys misrepresented hours they claimed to have worked. The firm denied that charge.

The District 1 Court of Appeals on Tuesday upheld a lower court ruling that Microsoft must pay $4.2 million in fees for the original litigation, plus another $1.4 million for the subsequent fee dispute.

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Liquor Tax Will Pay for Wisconsin Drunk Driving Laws

A tab of more than 70 million a year is what it will cost to enforce tougher Wisconsin drunk driving laws, some five time more than originally thought. Some lawmakers are pushing a higher liquor tax to pay for it.

The state’s liquor tax would increase by 50 cents a pint under a plan approved Tuesday in the State Senate Judiciary Committee. This extra cost is going to be passed onto consumers.

A report shows the tougher drunk driving law that passed the assembly would cost about 70 million dollars a year to enforce, because of increased court and prison costs.

Before a similar version gets through the senate, there is the question of how to pay for it. State Senator Lena Taylor says, “doing something and not funding it is irresponsible.”

The Senate Judiciary Committee approved a 58% liquor tax increase. That means if the plan passes the full legislature and signed by the governor, the current 85 cent tax on a liter bottle of liquor would increase to $1.35 a liter.

Guy Rehorst owns the Milwaukee Distillery that produces Rehorst Vodka. He says the tax increase would be bad for business. He says a better way to raise revenue is higher fines for those convicted of drunk driving.

Republican State Senator Alberta Darling says she strongly supports the tougher drunk driving law, but says the state should pay for it with existing alcohol taxes, not new ones. Darling said, “I don’t see why we should increase the tax, we already have tax on beer and wine. We should take those revenues and use it to pay for new strong drunken driving legislation.”

Democratic State Senator Lena Taylor says the increase is necessary. She says, “We had to find a revenue, so what did we do? We did it on booze. Booze is what causes you to drive drunk.”

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Wisconsin Governor Wants Tougher DUI Laws

Jim Doyle, Governor of Wisconsin apparently wants to toughen Wisconsin’s drunk driving laws. In his own words he says he wants to sign a “good, strong bill” toughening drunken driving laws in Wisconsin.

A DUI bill passed in the state last week that makes a 4th DUI a penalty instead of the 5th offense, but Governor Doyle says he would like to see a third offense be a felony. He says he supports making it a crime if there’s children in the vehicle, while the recently signed bill supports just that.

Doyle says it’s clear that there’s “still a long way to go” to toughen the Wisconsin DUI laws.

Currently, Wisconsin is the only state where a first time DUI offense is not a crime. A first time Wisconsin DUI is legally the same as a traffic ticket, but this new bill makes the first offense a misdemeanor if a child under the age of 16 is in the car.

The aim in all these drunk driving laws is to prevent injury and death from drunk driving accidents. Last year alcohol-related crashes killed 234 and injured more than 4,000 people in Wisconsin alone.

If you have been accused of your 4th Wisconsin DUI, it may be time to contact a drunk driving attorney for a free consultation. It is here you can talk about the specifics of your case and how you can avoid a felony DUI conviction.

Tougher Wisconsin DUI Laws

Wisconsin could enable tougher drunk driving laws as soon as mid September.

First, a 4th DUI will be considered a felony under the new law. Currently a 5th time DUI in Wisconsin is considered a felony. Also, on the bill co-sponsored by Republican Tony Staskunas is mandatory ignition interlock use for repeat offenders.

The bill states an offender will have to at least partially pay for the installation and maintenance of the device. What this means exactly is unclear at the moment.

Wisconsin drunk driving law (DUI / OWI) prohibits a person from driving or operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, a controlled substance, or a combination of alcohol and a controlled substance, or any other drug which makes a person less capable of safely driving. If you have been arrested for drunk driving in Wisconsin you should contact a Wisconsin DUI lawyer immediatly. During your search, visit the Law Firm Directory to find a DUI lawyer.