Legal Question in Criminal Law in Wisconsin

I'm going to court for Intent to cause bodily harm to a minor, - Class H felony, It happened when i was 17 year's old and i got in a fight with a kid that i didn't know was much younger than i was, i hit the kid 4-5 time's and since this crime i have not had a single criminal offense or police contact, i'm now 18 1/2 and i'm being charged as an adult for it, i have a job now and i'm getting my life on track to being a responsible adult, i don't want to go to prison or jail, do you think i'd be able to just settle with a citation? I'm not a violent person and i have no history of violence, consider this almost as a first conviction, I have a public defender but i have heard nothing from her, and i'm starting to panic, i don't know what to do anymore, I'm from Wisconsin and my biggest worry is going to jail/prison, and having a felony on my record, Could this get dropped down to a disorderly conduct or possibly probation? it's not like i'm hostile, it was simply a stupid mistake i made when i was younger like most kid's make, and now i'm suffering from it...and it's really harder than ever to deal with it when i was so on track with getting my life sorted out and being a responsible adult, I hope the court room will give me mercy..

What do you think about all this..? Do i deserve mercy?


Asked on 2/09/14, 2:03 am

1 Answer from Attorneys
JAY Nixon nixon law offices

If you are unhappy with your lawyer, you need to either replace her with a private lawyer or ask the public defender to appoint a different one for you, which request you are normally allowed to make one time. If you go to trial, you risk being convicted of a felony, but if you plea bargain, pay up front restitution for any injuries, have a clean record and can convince the DA that you deserve a break, your age would often permit a disposition where a misdemeanor record could be expunged following successful completion of your sentence. Do not count on mercy (or expungement) from either the judge or the jury, however, if you go to trial and lose. You might also try to locate an experienced local criminal lawyer for a free initial consultation and run your fact situation past him or her.

Answering you here does not make me your attorney, so please call 262-633-3090 for clarifications, additional questions or if you desire further assistance with this case. You can also email me at [email protected]. You can also see me on the web at www.jayknixonlaw.com. See 15 years of past answers at http://www.lawguru.com/answers/search/attorney/jknixon or at http://www.avvo.com/attorneys/53401-wi-jay-nixon-1529181/answers.html?sort=recency. Answers and links may contain attorney advertising.

Read more
Answered on 2/10/14, 2:14 pm


Related Questions & Answers

More Criminal Law questions and answers in Wisconsin