The Criminal Justice Process in Wisconsin: From Arrest to Trial

July 16, 2024 | Arraignment

It is crucial that you know what you expect when you find yourself in the criminal justice process in Wisconsin. Your case will have a number of steps that can play out over time. For each of these steps, it is vital that you have legal representation from an experienced criminal defense attorney who can vigorously defend you from the charges against you. The attorneys at Hogan Eickhoff deliver results for our clients, and we can put our experience to work for you. Contact us today to schedule a free initial consultation with one of our attorneys.

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Pretrial Motions and Their Impact on Your Criminal Case in Appleton

May 21, 2024 | Criminal Defense Attorney

Much of the ground rules and underpinnings for your criminal case are determined in advance of the actual trial before the jury. By that time, the charges against you are set, and the evidence that the prosecutor is allowed to use has already been disclosed. You can file various pretrial motions for a judge to rule on key issues in your case. The criminal defense lawyers at Hogan Eickhoff can aggressively defend you when you are facing charges in the justice system.

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Can a Criminal Defense Attorney Get Charges Dropped in Wisconsin?

October 10, 2023 | Court Hearings

Most criminal cases do not end up at trial. Either the charges are dropped, or the defendant reaches a plea agreement with the prosecutor. Your criminal defense attorney may look for a way to get the charges dropped if it is at all possible. In some cases, the charges are dropped when you successfully fight and stand up for your legal rights. In other cases, the charges may be dropped as part of a deal with the prosecutor.

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What You Need to Know About Bail and Pretrial Release in Wisconsin

June 20, 2023 | Bail

If the defendant qualifies for bail, Wisconsin law states that the defendant is “eligible for release under reasonable conditions designed to assure his or her appearance in court, protect members of the community from serious harm, and prevent the intimidation of witnesses.” In practice, you may need to fight for reasonable pretrial conditions or even to be released at all.

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What are Pretrial Conferences and What Happens During Them?

February 7, 2023 | Court Hearings

There are numerous things that must be considered before trial that are far more than just “housekeeping” items. The actual trial is where your freedom is at stake, and the court system takes it extremely seriously. Criminal trials are coordinated and planned to an extent to allow both the state and you to effectively present their case. The pretrial conference is a critical milestone in your case because it both sets the ground rules for the trial and could even facilitate a resolution of your case.

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What to Expect at a Preliminary Hearing

January 17, 2023 | Court Hearings

There is much that happens early in your case, well in advance of trial. In the beginning, you must learn of your legal rights and enter a plea (as you do in the initial appearance), and the basis for the case against you must be established. There is a screening process to weed out weak cases because forcing you to trial on a vague and unestablished case is inconsistent with your legal rights.

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What to Expect at an Initial Appearance

January 3, 2023 | Arraignment

You may be more familiar with another term for an initial appearance – an arraignment. The initial appearance is exactly what its name implies – it is your first time in front of a judge in your criminal case.

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Your Guide to Initial Court Appearances in Criminal Cases

July 13, 2022 | Criminal Defense Attorney

Many people are often unaware of what happens in the early stages of a criminal case. Instead, they are focused on the trial itself. However, the initial appearances may set the groundwork for a successful defense of the charges or make it clear to the prosecutor that they have their own risk in taking a case forward to the jury.

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What Happens at an Arraignment?

May 6, 2022 | Arraignment

An arraignment is your initial appearance in court for your criminal defense case. It is one of your constitutional rights to be presented with the charges against you. It is one of the defendant’s first chances to appear in front of the judge, even though your case will not be won at an arraignment. However, do not make the mistake of thinking that the arraignment is a formality.

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What Happens at an Initial Appearance?

March 15, 2022 | Bail

Law enforcement does not have a legal right to hold a defendant indefinitely without them being able to go in front of a judge. Otherwise, it would be a violation of the defendant’s rights that could jeopardize the prosecution. The initial appearance in front of a judge is called an arraignment. There are several substantive things that will happen in an arraignment that provide an introduction of sorts to the case.

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