Monday, October 27, 2014

October 15, 2014: OWI-1st/Refusal of Chemical Test Reduced to Inattentive Driving

As a resident of Illinois, JD was facing severe consequences against his driving privileges in his home state if he were convicted of his first-ever drunk driving charge in Wisconsin. The severity of his situation was compounded by the fact that JD travels extensively for his job and has to maintain a valid driver's license. Quite frankly, a drunk driving conviction would finish JD's career at his present company. He had to fight his case. But how? JD's vehicle had been called in by the concerned employee of a gas station he had just patronized and he performed poorly (on camera) during his roadside sobriety tests. Even worse, JD refused to submit to a breath or blood test following his arrest, leading to a so-called "Refusal charge" that can be very easy for prosecutors to prove...and these Refusal charges carry even worse penalties than the drunk driving charge itself. Bottom line, the deck was stacked heavily against JD and he was going to need the services of the best possible attorney he could find. Not one to leave things to chance, JD undertook extensive research of the top DUI attorneys in Wisconsin and ended up interviewing 6 of them, three of whom told JD to hire Dennis Melowski. After interviewing Dennis himself, JD knew he had found the lawyer he was looking for and it was the best decision he ever made. After months of intense negotiations, Dennis was able to reach a fantastic resolution of JD's case. Just 2 days before JD's Refusal Hearing, the prosecutor agreed to reduce the original OWI charge to the non-alcohol-related, minor traffic offense of Inattentive Driving. The remaining Refusal charge was dismissed completely. Aside from paying a fine, JD suffered no consequences from this incident. He was able to completely avoid any license loss and also avoided the horrible ignition interlock device. Most importantly, he avoided the career-ending stigma of being a convicted drunk driver. To read just how pleased JD was with Dennis' work on his case, click the following link to read his review on the independent lawyer rating website Avvo. The review is titled "The Best DUI Attorney in the State of Wisconsin": http://www.avvo.com/attorneys/53081-wi-dennis-melowski-1523763/reviews.html