Friday, April 24, 2015

A Fantastic April So Far: 3 More Clients Avoid Drunk Driving Convictions

Case #1: OWI-1st/PAC-1st (with .16 breath test result) Reduced to Two Citations for Improper Parking Off Roadway; A CDL Owner/Operator's Business is Saved

Since 1999, MK has been the owner/operator of a small trucking business that transports oversized machinery nationwide. It's a very successful business, but one that depends entirely on MK possessing valid CDL privileges at all times. As everyone in MK's field knows, a drunk driving conviction is like a professional death sentence, as a conviction on such a charge results in immediate CDL disqualification and skyrocketing insurance rates. So when MK picked up his first-ever drunk driving charge, he had to fight it. His livelihood was directly at stake. Fortunately, MK was referred to Dennis Melowski by a former client whose trucking career Dennis had saved a few years before. Dennis knew the first order of business was to obtain a stay of MK's administrative suspension, which was set to take effect just 30 days after MK's arrest. After a contentious hearing in which the prosecutor vehemently objected to the requested stay, Dennis was able to persuade the judge to side in his favor. This meant that MK would be able to maintain fully valid privileges while Dennis fought the case in court. As it turned out, this was just the first of many victories in MK's defense. After several months of investigation and hearings, Dennis was ultimately able to convince the prosecutor that there were sufficient problems in the case to warrant the original charges being dropped. Dennis was able to negotiate an incredible outcome. MK would plead no contest to two citations for Improper Parking Off Roadway, an offense that is so minor that it carries zero points. Aside from paying fines, MK suffered no consequences from his arrest. He never lost his license for a single day and his trucking business continues to thrive.


Case #2: OWI-1st/PAC-1st (with .182 blood test) Reduced to Two Minor Traffic Offenses

This was another case where our client needed to avoid a drunk driving conviction at all costs for employment concerns, as his job required him to travel at unpredictable hours and his employer required him to maintain valid driving privileges accordingly. He also needed to travel to Canada several times per year and a drunk driving conviction can provide a major impediment to crossing over the border. In short, JS needed to fight the case.  Like most clients, JS was referred to Dennis Melowski by a former client whom he helped save from a drunk driving conviction. Despite some very difficult facts to overcome, including a blood test result of .182, Dennis was able to do just enough with the case to negotiate a fantastic deal. Interestingly, the prosecutor  probably would not have agreed to the deal if Dennis had not been able to convince the arresting officer to approve a non-drunk-driving resolution. How was Dennis able to do that? This particular officer was someone against whom Dennis had success in the past and the officer confided to Dennis that he didn't feel like being dragged into court for the next 6 months to go through the same thing again. The officer actually encouraged the prosecutor to settle the case! As we make clear on our website, there is no substitute for courtroom success. It is only an an attorney with a well-known reputation for winning who can consistently obtain these types of results for their clients...and garner that type of respect from officers. JS's case is the perfect example of that. After coming to Dennis with a case that looked like it had long odds, JS walked away from this horrible situation with only two minor traffic citations: Inattentive Driving and Improper Parking Off Roadway. Another real result from Wisconsin's most successful drunk driving defense firm.

Case #3: OWI-1st/PAC-1st (with .154 blood test result) Reduced to Reckless Driving for Attorney Client

As we also make clear on our website, other lawyers know who the best lawyers are in their respective fields. And we have had countless lawyer clients over the years. For many lawyers, their professional reputation is the most important thing they have going for them, and nothing can damage a professional reputation more than a drunk driving conviction. Rightly or wrongly, the stain of a drunk driving conviction can scare away potential clients and result in diminished esteem by judges and other attorneys. As a partner in a small-town law firm, these concerns were front and center in DC's mind when he picked up his first-ever drunk driving charge, Although in his 60's, DC couldn't bear the thought of having a black mark on his otherwise impeccable reputation in the legal community. Not wanting to leave anything to chance, DC called the person whom he knew was the best DUI defense attorney in the state, Dennis Melowski. And Dennis delivered in a big way for DC. Despite some difficult video evidence and a blood test that was nearly twice the legal limit, Dennis was able to negotiate a resolution that completely avoided any type of alcohol-related offense. Under the terms of the  deal Dennis worked out, the original OWI charge was reduced to Reckless Driving and the remaining PAC charge was dismissed completely. Aside from paying a fine, DC suffered no consequences form his arrest and his outstanding reputation remains fully intact. To read DC's review of Dennis' work on his case on the independent lawyer rating website Avvo, click here (the review is titled "Reputation Saver"): http://www.avvo.com/attorneys/53081-wi-dennis-melowski-1523763/reviews.html