A crime is any act punishable by time in jail or prison. “If there’s no time, it’s not a crime.” In Wisconsin, crimes are either misdemeanors or felonies.

Misdemeanors

There are four different classes of misdemeanors: A, B, C and U. They are distinguished by their penalties. Class A is the most serious. It is punishable by up to nine months in jail or a fine up to $10,000. A class B misdemeanor is punishable by up to 90 days in jail and/or a fine up to $1,000. A class C misdemeanor is punishable by up to 30 days in jail and/or a fine up to $500. Class U misdemeanors are “unclassified” and are specific to the crime charged.

Felonies

There are nine types of felonies:

Felonies have bifurcated sentencing, which means a defendant is sentenced to a portion of time in custody and a subsequent portion of time.

In order to determine what type of crime you have been charged with or what the maximum penalty could be, you should refer to your complaint.

In Wisconsin, the State can stack “enhancers” on top of the base class.

•  Carrying a dangerous weapon can add up to 5 extra years (§ 939.63)
• Habitual-criminality can add 2–6 extra years (or more), depending on the prior record (§ 939.62)
• Domestic-abuse-repeater and hate-crime statutes push the maximum even farther.

As we discussed above, imprisonment and fines are obvious consequences. But a criminal conviction of any level brings forth many unspoken consequences, such as: trouble obtaining housing, difficulty securing bank loans/financing, licensing issues, job opportunities and child care implications.

Lawyers do more than look at evidence and assess if a client is guilty or not. Lawyers consider pretrial motions that could suppress or change the evidence. They investigate
public records to corroborate innocence. They track down video that police never bothered to obtain.

And when the evidence doesn’t lie in your favor – they also know about local diversion programs, creative sentencing structures, rehabilitation resources and the benefit of a prepared sentencing argument.

We are a small firm that focuses solely on criminal law practice in district court. By focusing on only criminal law, our team has developed unparalleled expertise in complex criminal issues. Attorney Coss has spent the last two decades learning how judges and prosecutors think and act, which is now to the benefit of her clients. And no – we don’t charge more. But more on that below.

Many attorneys are reluctant to represent clients when they have multiple criminal cases, revocation hearings, family cases or licensing issues that come along with their criminal matters. Some cases have clients with significant mental or emotional concerns that mean the case will take extra time and understanding. Others have a defense witness that can’t be found or records that need to be tracked down. A few clients have cases in several different states or jurisdictions that need to be resolved globally.

Clients and their loved ones become overwhelmed. They think there is no benefit to hiring an attorney or all is lost once they receive a complaint. Perhaps they even meet with a few attorneys but ultimately find the entire process too much of an undertaking.

If you nodded your head at any point while reading the last two paragraphs – you have a comprehensive problem. You can’t solve it on your own – you want someone to step
in, lead the way and bring you out on the other side.

LMC Law welcomes complexity and relishes the opportunity to produce exceptional results. Regardless of the type of charge or the back story that comes with it, we look forward to consulting with you and offering you potential solutions.

First and foremost, LMC Law uses twenty years of experience in criminal law to objectively assess a case on its merits….both from prosecution and defensive perspectives. Unlike other law firms, which have assistants or paralegals review discovery, every client’s file at LMC Law is reviewed in its entirety by Attorney Coss for errors, omission or oversights. Attorney Coss and the client then meet to discuss a plan for the case going forward whether it be motions, setting for trial or positioning the case for resolution. LMC Law uses a variety of methods to solve client’s legal problems including: therapy, programming, evaluations, independent expert analysis, private investigations and open records requests. LMC Law, as a team, also conducts crime scene visits, evidence retrieval/storage and scene reconstruction…whatever the client needs. Every case is different and requires unique efforts in order to get the best result.

Absolutely not. The only time a client has to take a plea deal is when he or she wants to accept the State’s offer.

LMC Law has a flat fee structure. When you have your consultation, we will provide you a fee quote if you want to proceed with representation. That quote is generally
inclusive of all work on the file except trial or experts. This means we do not charge by the hour or have a minimum retainer that you are required to keep refilling as the case progresses. Attorney Coss has the experience to assess a case at the outset and provide a flat fee quote to her clients so money doesn’t have to be a constant part of the conversation when talking about how to defend your case. We’re happy to discuss more during your consultation.

We do offer discounts to students, military, seniors and agricultural families.

Attorney Coss will meet with you for a free one-on-one consultation. It can be over the phone, video or in-person. We will talk about your case, potential challenges, potential upsides and answer any questions about the legal process that we can. The consultation can be a few minutes or an hour long depending on the client’s needs and time available. It is confidential and will not be shared with anyone. If a client wants a spouse/friend/family member to attend, that is welcome as well. There is no pressure to hire or get a quote just because you would like a consultation. We do them because we genuinely like talking to other people and helping them out.