Recent Drunk Driving Cases

State of Wisconsin versus Alleged Drunk Driver

not guilty! drunk driving & .190 pAC

charge: operating while under the influence, prohibited alcohol concentration

verdict: not guilty

Attorney Corey Chirafisi's client was charged with drunk driving and having a blood alcohol concentration in excess of the legal limit. The legal limit for this first OWI offense was .08; the tests showed a blood alcohol concentration level of .190. Two charges were made against the alleged drunk driver; one for an OWI (Operating While Under The Influence) and another for a PAC (Prohibited Alcohol Concentration) level. At trial, Attorney Chirafisi won an acquittal (not guilty verdict) on all counts. This case was tried in Jackson County Wisconsin.

drunk driving charge gone - client gets mere ticket

Charge: Operating While Under The Influence, Prohibited Alcohol Concentration

Verdict: Ticket

Attorney Corey Chirafisi's client was charged with operating a motor vehicle while under the influence and having a prohibited alcohol concentration level. Attorney Chirafisi got the charges reduced to a ticket for unreasonable and imprudent speed. Dane County Madison WI case.

dismissed Drunk driving & .194 blood alcohol concentration

Charge: Operating While Under the Influence, Prohibited Alcohol Concentration of .194

Verdict: Dismissed

Attorney Corey Chirafisi's client was charged with operating a motor vehicle while under the influence (an OWI in Wisconsin, but commonly called a DUI) with a blood alcohol content level of .194. His client was charged with both an OWI for driving while impaired and a PAC (prohibited alcohol concentration level). Corey argued that the evidence should be suppressed on the grounds that there was no reasonable suspicion to stop the vehicle. The court agreed with Corey, and the case was dismissed. Dane County Madison WI case.

Dismissed Drunk Driving & .26 blood alcohol concentration level

Charge: Operating While Under the Influence, Prohibited Alcohol Concentration of .26, Accident

Verdict: Dismissed

Attorney Corey Chirafisi's client was arrested and charged with OWI (drunk driving), PAC (prohibited alcohol concentration) level of .26 after being in an accident. Attorney Chirafisi obtained a dismissal on all charges for lack of probable cause to arrest. Dane County Madison WI case.

ticket instead of drunk driving conviction with .12 blood alcohol level

Charge: Operating While Under The Influence & Prohibited Alcohol Concentration of .12

Verdict: OWI Reduced to Reckless Driving

Attorney Corey Chirafisi defended a client who had been stopped in Dane County (Madison Wisconsin) and arrested for drunk driving. The state alleged that the driver had a PAC - prohibited alcohol content level of .12 and was therefore operating a vehicle while intoxicated. Attorney Chirafisi challenged the charge. The OWI charge was amended to reckless driving. Dane County Madison WI case.

ticket instead of drunk driving with .18 blood alcohol concentration

Charge: Operating While Intoxicated & Prohibited Alcohol Concentration of .18

Verdict: OWI Reduced to Reckless Driving

In another case also involving Dane County, the defendant was arrested for drunk driving and a prohibited alcohol content level of .18. Attorney Chirafisi obtained an amended charge from OWI & PAC to reckless driving.Dane County Madison WI case.

Refusal dismissed - drunk driving reduced to ticket

Charge: Operating While Intoxicated, Refusing To Submit To a Breath or Blood Test

Verdict: Reckless Driving, Refusal Dismissed as Reasonable

When a person is stopped by the police on the suspicion of driving while intoxicated, and the police ask that person to submit to a test, if that person has a valid driver's license then the license was issued with an implied consent to be tested. To refuse to take a test is a violation of the implied consent. Special rules and laws apply whenever a person refuses a test, but rest assured that the police will always contend that their request for the test was reasonable.

In this particular case, the alleged drunk driver refused to take the test. Attorney Chirafisi argued on behalf of his client that the refusal was reasonable given the circumstances. The court agreed. The charges were amended to reckless driving and the refusal charge dismissed. Note that a refusal charge is counted as an OWI charge for purposes of "counting prior convictions", so even if a person is not convicted of an OWI, but is charged with refusing to submit to a test, that refusal counts as an OWI.Dane County Madison WI case.

Ticket instead of OWI with .16 blood alcohol concentration

Charge: Operating While Intoxicated & Prohibited Alcohol Concentration of .16

Verdict: Reckless Driving

A Wisconsin driver was arrested for OWI and PAC - prohibited alcohol content level - violations in Dane County (Madison, Wisconsin). Attorney Chirafisi successfully obtained amended charges from OWI & PAC violation to a reckless driving charge. Dane County Madison WI case.

operating while under influence of drugs reduced to ticket

Charge: Operating While Intoxicated (by drugs)

Verdict: Reckless Driving

When a person is arrested for an OWI in Wisconsin, the law does not specify that the cause of intoxication must be alcohol. Rather, the law specifies that the person need only be impaired by "some" agent, which includes alcohol, as well as drugs.

In this case, Attorney Chirafisi defended a person who had been arrested on an OWI charge for intoxication caused by an agent other than alcohol. Attorney Chirafisi successfully obtained an amended charge from OWI to reckless driving. Dane County Madison WI case.

.10 blood alcohol operating while under influence reduced to ticket

Charge: Operating While Intoxicated & Prohibited Alcohol Concentration of .10

Verdict: Reckless Driving

Attorney Corey Chirafisi obtained an amended charge for his client who was charged with an OWI & PAC violation to the charge of reckless driving. Dane County Madison WI case.

drunk driving with .12 blood alcohol reduced to inattentive driving

Charge: Operating While Under the Influence, with a Prohibited Alcohol Concentration level (.12)

Verdict: Amended to inattentive driving

In the first of two drunk driving cases in Dodge County this week, Attorney Corey Chirafisi won a drastic reduction in a drunk driving charge against his client from an OWI with a PAC (Prohibited Alcohol Concentration) level of .12 to a ticket for inattentive driving. Dodge County WI case.

refusal to test was reasonable - oWI reduced to ticket

Charge: OWI, Refusal

Verdict: Refusal was reasonable, OWI amended to reckless driving

In the second of two drunk driving cases in Dodge County this week, Attorney Chirafisi won a reasonable ruling on a refusal for his client; the drunk driving charge was removed and replaced by a reckless driving charge. Dodge County WI case.

5th offense drunk driving reduced to 1st offense

Charge: 5th Offense Operating While Under the Influence

Verdict: 5th Offense OWI reduced to 1st Offense OWI

Attorney Corey Chirafisi defended a client charged with an OWI - 5th Offense. An OWI - Operating While Under Influence - is Wisconsin drunk driving charge. Under Wisconsin laws, a fifth drunk driving offense is a felony, with mandatory prison time, fines, and the possibility of additional penalties. Attorney Chirafisi attacked all four prior convictions to the fifth offense successfully; the OWI 5th charge was reduced to an OWI - 1st offense (which is a non-criminal charge in Wisconsin). Jackson County WI case.

Underage Drinking, oWI & Property Destruction reduced to ticket

Charge: Underage Drinking, Operating A Vehicle While Under Influence, Destroying Property While Driving Drunk

Verdict: Reckless Driving

Attorney Corey Chirafisi's client was charged with underage drinking (consuming alcohol while under the legal age of 21 years), OWI (operating while under the influence of alcohol) and driving through a barricaded area (and destroying property while driving drunk). The driving through a barricaded area was reduced to a reckless driving ticket, and all other charges were dismissed. La Crosse County WI case.

OWI & .12 Blood alcohol reduced to ticket

Charge: Operating While Intoxicated & Prohibited Alcohol Concentration of .12

Verdict: Reckless Driving

Attorney Chirafisi defended a client who had been stopped and arrested for driving while intoxicated in Marathon County, Wisconsin (Wausau WI). In that case, he successfully obtained a reduction in the charges from an OWI and PAC violation to a reckless driving charge. Marathon County WI case.

refusal to submit to test proven reasonable

Charge: Refusing To Submit To A Sobriety (Drunk Driving) Test

Verdict: Refusal Reasonable

Attorney Corey Chirafisi defended a client charged with refusing to submit to a test. Wisconsin law provides that no person may refuse to submit to a test to determine whether or not they are drunk while driving if requested to do so by a police officer who has stopped the person on the suspicion that he or she may be driving while intoxicated. Attorney Chirafisi was able to prove to the court that the test refusal was reasonable. Rock County WI case.

drunk driving with .12 blood alcohol reduced to inattentive driving

Charge: Refusing Sobriety Test

Verdict: Court finds refusal reasonable

Attorney Corey Chirafisi's client was charged with refusing to submit to a blood test to determine his client's level of alcohol. Under Wisconsin law, a refusal counts as an OWI for purposes of determine how many prior OWI offenses the person has been convicted of on a subsequent charge. In this case, Corey was able to prove to the court that his client's refusal to submit was reasonable. Rock County WI case.

Sauk County - OWI & PAC 1st Offense - Not Guilty On Both Counts

Charge: Operating While Under the Influence, Prohibited Alcohol Concentration

Verdict: Not Guilty

Attorney Corey Chirafisi's client was charged with OWI - operating while under the influence of an intoxicant in Sauk County, and an alcohol level in excess of the legal limit, otherwise known as a PAC, or prohibited alcohol concentration. Corey won a not guilty verdict on both counts. Sauk County WI case.

Dismissed Drunk Driving - dismissed refusal to test

Charge: Operating While Under The Influence, Refusing To Submit To A Sobriety Test

Outcome: Both Charges Dismissed

Attorney Corey Chirafisi defended a person charged with an OWI (operating while under the influence) and a refusal (refusing to submit to a test to determine whether a person is drunk). Despite the defendant refusing the test, police obtained test results showing a BAC (blood alcohol concentration) level of .26. Wisconsin's legal limit is .08. Attorney Chirafisi attacked the arrest. An arrest under Wisconsin law is a seizure of a person. The court concurred, and suppressed all of the evidence on the grounds that there was no probable cause to arrest. Without evidence, there was only one thing to do - ask the court to dismiss the charges, and the court did. All charges against Attorney Chirafisi's client were dismissed. Shawano County WI case.

Other Cases Defended by Attorney Chirafisi

Federal Indictment Acquittals (Not Guilty Verdicts)

For brief summaries of the types of federal indictments handled by the Chirafisi Law Office, please visit Federal Crimes - Defendants Acquitted.

Wisconsin Circuit Court Criminal Acquittals (Not Guilty Verdicts)

For brief summaries of the types of cases handled by Chirafisi Law Office for clients who had been charged by the state of Wisconsin for a criminal offense, please visit Proven Not Guilty Of Criminal Charges - State of Wisconsin.

Wisconsin County -vs- Defendant

For brief summaries of the types of cases handled by Chirafisi Law Office involving a Wisconsin county prosecution, please visit County Versus Defendant & Looses.

Drunk driving arrests

Arrested? Charged? In need of legal advice?

Under Wisconsin laws, if you are stopped for drunk driving, and police determine that you might be under the influence, police must arrest you for drunk driving. You can be charged with an OWI - Operating While Under The Influence - and a PAC - violating the Prohibited Alcohol Content laws. Subsequently, police will file a police report and go to trial to testify against you if the matter is tried. Everything you say from the moment the police officer approaches your vehicle can and will be held against you in a court of law. Once you have a drunk driving charge on your record, subsequent charges are a crime (misdemeanor or felony) and carry mandatory jail sentences and fines (both increase with the number of offenses). A reduction from a drunk driving offense (OWI and/or PAC) to a reckless driving wipes the OWI off of your record completely.

free initial consultation

If you have been arrested and charged with a drunk driving or criminal offense by the state of Wisconsin or the Federal government, please contact the law office of Attorney Corey Chirafisi for a free initial consultation.

Contact Information

Chirafisi Law Offices has successfully defended many people who were charged with drunk driving offenses in the state of Wisconsin. If you have been charged with an OWI, please contact the law offices of Attorney Corey Chirafisi for a free initial consultation.
Attorney Corey Chirafisi
Telephone: 608.250.3500
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