If you are facing an OWI or DUI charge in Racine & Kenosha
or Kenosha, Wisconsin, you need an aggressive and experienced defense attorney on your side. At Richards & Associates, S.C., DUI defense is not just something we claim—it is something we have proven through jury trial victories, evidence suppression, and dismissed cases.

We aggressively challenge flawed law enforcement investigations, unconstitutional searches, and unreliable blood and breath testing. Our goal is always the same: protect your license, your freedom, and your future.

Why You Need an Aggressive DUI Defense Attorney

Being an aggressive DUI attorney means more than showing up in court. It means:

• Filing motions to suppress illegally obtained evidence
• Challenging unlawful traffic stops and arrests
• Exposing constitutional violations
• Taking cases to jury trial when necessary—and winning

Over the years, our attorneys have successfully defended clients in DUI jury trials where the verdict was “Not Guilty.”

DUI / OWI Investigation Errors We Challenge

At Richards & Associates, S.C., we regularly challenge flawed DUI investigations in Racine & Kenosha
County and Kenosha County, including cases where:

• Officers threatened to obtain a search warrant without probable cause

Result: Evidence suppressed

• Police relied solely on a third-party caller with no independent observations of impaired driving

Result: Evidence suppressed

• Officers unlawfully entered a client’s home to investigate a vehicle accident

Result: Evidence suppressed

• Police unlawfully seized a client in their driveway without identifying the driver

Result: Evidence suppressed

• Officers forced a blood draw after failing to obtain a search warrant

Result: Evidence suppressed

 Suppressed evidence often leads to reduced charges or complete dismissal of OWI cases.

Protecting Your Driver’s License Before Trial

Many DUI penalties begin before you are ever convicted.

If your blood or breath test is over .08, you have only 10 days to request an Administrative Suspension Hearing with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. If you miss this deadline, your license may be suspended automatically.

Our DUI attorneys work to:

• Keep you legally driving while the case is pending
• Avoid or delay SR-22 insurance requirements
• Prevent unnecessary insurance premium increases

Early legal action can save you thousands of dollars and months without a license.

Minimizing OWI Penalties in Wisconsin

Even a first-offense OWI carries serious penalties, including:

• Mandatory license revocation (6–9 months)
• Fines and court costs nearing $1,000
• 6 demerit points on your driving record

If you refused testing, revocation increases to 12 months.

For higher blood alcohol levels (.15 or above), or second and subsequent offenses, penalties increase significantly and may include:

• Mandatory Ignition Interlock Devices (IID) on all vehicles
• IID costs exceeding $1,000 per year
• Jail or prison exposure

We fight to reduce revocation time, limit IID requirements, and minimize financial penalties whenever possible.

Challenging Prior DUI Convictions

 OWI penalties increase automatically with prior offenses—but prior convictions are not always valid.

We have experience challenging prior OWI convictions, including:

• Out-of-state convictions
• Cases where the client was not represented by an attorney
• Constitutionally defective prior pleas

Successfully challenging a prior offense can mean the difference between jail and probation—or prison and freedom.

Jail Alternatives & Sentencing Advocacy

For clients facing mandatory jail time, our firm works aggressively to:

• Obtain Huber privileges so you can keep your job
• Secure electronic monitoring instead of jail
• Arrange jail time around employment or family obligations
• Transfer sentences to a client’s county of residence or employment

Because of our exclusive criminal defense practice and court-side location in Racine & Kenosha
County, we understand how to navigate sentencing logistics effectively.

Fourth Offense & Felony OWI Defense

Fourth-offense OWI is now a felony in Wisconsin, but prison is not automatic.

Whether a client receives probation or prison depends on factors such as:

• Blood alcohol concentration
• Time between prior offenses
• Treatment history
• Quality of sentencing preparation

We prepare detailed sentencing arguments designed to keep clients out of prison whenever legally possible.

Challenging Related Traffic Tickets

OWI cases often involve additional traffic citations. These matter.

Accumulating more than 12 demerit points in a year can result in additional license suspensions—and multiple suspensions can lead to complete revocation without occupational privileges.

We work to dismiss or reduce related traffic tickets to protect your driving record and license.

Scientific & Technical DUI Defense

OWI defense is highly technical and scientific.

Even if a blood or breath test reads over .08, we may still challenge:

• How the sample was obtained
• Chain of custody issues
• Testing procedures
• Equipment calibration and reliability
• Retrograde extrapolation errors

We regularly challenge testing performed by the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene, which is not immune from error.

Our attorneys attend annual advanced OWI defense training, are members of the National College for DUI Defense, and have even taught at statewide DUI defense conferences.

Racine & Kenosha
& Kenosha DUI Defense Attorneys You Can Trust

Whether this is your first OWI or a fifth offense, you need an aggressive DUI attorney who understands Wisconsin law, local courts, and scientific evidence.

📞 Call Richards & Associates, S.C. today at 262-632-2200

Serving Racine & Kenosha