Legal Question in Criminal Law in Wisconsin

You didn't do anything illegal, but it might look as if you did. Whether you get in trouble will depend upon what the authorities believe, even if those beliefs are not accurate. Do you have any reason to think you'll be in trouble?

Yes, you certainly could be in trouble. Our criminal justice system is far from perfect; innocent people are charged and convicted thousands of times every year (just ask some of the 3% of the U.S. population which is in prison for confirmation of this). We have an adversary system where the DA, with the backing of huge law enforcement agencies, may use all of the resources of the government which are available to him to convict you. And, the jury will do exactly that, i.e., convict you, unless a reasonable doubt remains in their minds at the conclusion of your trial. Your only friend in this intimidating system is your defense attorney, who also has a powerful but less potent weapon known as a "presumption of innocence." That means that you theoretically begin the process innocent and remain that way unless the jury convicts you or unless you convict yourself by pleading no contest or guilty. As a practical matter, however, jurors often become jaded after hearing many criminal cases and, at least in their own minds, reverse that presumption, thinking that you are guilty until proven innocent, regardless of how the judge tells them to view the case. There would certainly be probable cause to arrest you if you were found with a fleeing shoplifter in your car, but if there remains doubt at the end of the trial that you knew she was a shoplifter, you might be acquitted. In short, your future depends almost totally upon the quality of the criminal defense lawyer who you hire. You need to hire the best one you can afford as soon as possible. If you cannot afford one (and your case is in circuit court as a criminal charge rather than municipal court), you may be eligible for a public defender. Public defenders are usually the most experienced and capable criminal lawyers you will find in any county, at least in Wisconsin. However, due to their high volume of cases, the amount of time available to them to spend you your particular case may be limited. I therefore, without hesitation, offer you this legal advice--hire a good lawyer right away! Many of your rights may expire if not exercised in a timely fashion. My comments in this online forum are offered for public educational purposes only and are not legal advice, nor do they create any attorney/client relationship between us. Even if I were advising you, the background information which you provided did not include sufficient detail to allow any sort of reliable advice upon which you should rely. Finally, I may be able to represent you if you contact my Racine office and make arrangements formally retain me. I represent clients throughout the state of WI.