There are lawyers.
There are criminal defense lawyers.
And then there's Van Wagner & Wood:
Lawyers who can really help.

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SUCCESSFUL CRIMINAL DEFENSE LAWYERS

For more than three decades, criminal defense lawyers Attorney Christopher T Van Wagner & Attorney Tracey A Wood have devoted themselves exclusively to helping people under investigation for, accused of, and charged with a drunk driving - OWI DUI DWI - or criminal offense, and those convicted of a crime who believe their conviction or sentence were wrong. Criminal defense lawyers throughout Wisconsin and across the nation routinely consult the criminal defense lawyers at Van Wagner & Wood for creative winning defense strategies. In a recent survey, Attorney Christopher Van Wagner, former Federal Prosecutor and State Prosecutor, and Attorney Tracey Wood, Wisconsin foremost authority on drunk driving law, were named the "Best Criminal Defense Lawyers" in Madison.

Proven Experience

Very few lawyers know the feeling of an outright acquittal (not guilty verdict) in their careers, yet the attorneys at Van Wagner & Wood have won many for their clients. Their successful record of trials, plea bargains, and appeals often cause prosecutors to make very favorable settlement agreements to avoid a hearing at which Van Wagner & Wood might prevail.

Van Wagner & Wood Will Represent You

Regardless of the charges against you, the criminal defense lawyers at Van Wagner & Wood will represent you, and moreover, they will provide you with a defense based on years of experience in having tried cases - like yours - effectively.

Successful Drunk Driving & Criminal Defense

The winning record of the criminal defense lawyers at Van Wagner & Wood continues to make local, regional, and national headlines for their stellar representation of people accused of, charged with, or convicted for very serious crimes such as criminal negligent homicide, hit-and-run, first degree intentional homicide, negligent handling of dangerous weapons, sex crimes, murder, and the largest military theft case ever prosecuted, for misdemeanors, and for drunk driving and multiple drunk driving charges. Those headlines do not include the many high profile defendants that the criminal defense lawyers at Van Wagner & Wood routinely represent, for whom they provide very discrete, confidential, and effective results.

When Results Matter

When results matter, call (608-284-1200) or email the lawyers@vanwagnerandwood.com for a confidential brief professional "first impression" analysis of your situation. Those attorneys can provide you with immediate information that will serve you well in making the critical decisions you face. They know the law well, they have tried hundreds of felony cases to verdict, they are exclusively devoted to criminal defense law, they are experienced, they have been tested and tried, and they have proven their effectiveness time and again.

Van Wagner & Wood's criminal defense lawyers have overturned court decisions and freed those falsely accused and wrongly imprisoned. Those attorneys have challenged the court's sentencing of people and won probation in lieu of long-term prison sentences. They have won outright acquittals when others were sentenced to prison, and even after a defendant had pled guilty to the crime. For your reference, several of the headline cases are memorialized in VWW in the headlines.

To the left is a list of some of the types of cases in which these criminal defense lawyers defend people. Click on any of those topics for detailed information or click here for a composite explanation.

Attorney Christopher T Van Wagner

Attorney Chris Van Wagner has tried nearly 100 felony cases to verdict. He is a former Federal Prosecutor, New Jersey State Prosecutor, Chicago Criminal Defense Lawyer, [Criminal Defense] “Warrior of the Year,” recipient of the honorable "Hanson Prize," and voted by his peers as one of Madison’s "Best Criminal Defense Lawyers." Chris obtained his law degree from Cornell, a top Ivy League law school. (Read more about Chris).

Attorney Tracey A Wood

Attorney Tracey Wood is a nationally recognized legal authority on Drunk Driving Law, Wisconsin’s only lawyer ever appointed as a Standardized Field Sobriety Test Instructor, and State Delegate for the National College of DUI Defense. Attorney Wood serves on the boards of both the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the Wisconsin Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. She was voted "Best Criminal Defense Attorney" among a handful of lawyers to receive such recognition during a recent survey of her peers. Tracey obtained her law degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School, one of the highest regarded law schools in the nation. (Read more about Tracey).

Wisconsin Criminal Defense Lawyers

The majority of Wisconsin's criminal cases are heard in the Wisconsin Circuit Courts. For example, Wisconsin Circuit Court judges hear criminal cases involving sexual assault, domestic violence, disorderly conduct, traffic violations, homicide, and drunk driving cases (see Wisconsin Drunk Driving Defense).

Van Wagner & Wood's criminal defense lawyers appear in Wisconsin's Circuit Courts routinely (see recent appearances), and they know the judges and the courtroom's procedures. Those courts are also familiar with the zealous defense that the lawyers at Van Wagner & Wood provide to their clients, the winning record that those lawyers hold, and the strategic defenses that those attorneys are capable of presenting. That level of familiar and knowledge is critical to your case, it can make the difference between the court dismissing the charges or trying the case.

Wisconsin Drunk Driving Defense Lawyers

If you were charged with a drunk driving offense in Wisconsin, the drunk driving charge will be heard in a Wisconsin Circuit Court on the date that is written on your citation, but your license can only be saved by pursuing an administrative hearing, and that hearing must be demanded within ten (10) days (see Save Your Driver's License). If you do not demand a hearing, you will loose your license, regardless of what happens in court. The administrative process is not part of the court case, so you cannot wait until you go to court to take care of your license.

Attorney Tracey Wood is Wisconsin's foremost authority on the drunk driving laws, nationally known for her interpretations of the laws and her abilities to create successful defenses for her clients, and highly regarded as more than a formidable opponent by any prosecutor. Drunk driving lawyers throughout Wisconsin and across the nation call Tracey when they need guidance or help in defending their clients against a Wisconsin drunk driving charge, multiple Wisconsin drunk driving charges, or drunk driving charges in multiple states. She regularly speaks at local, regional, and national conference that are held to educate criminal defense lawyers in the area of drunk driving laws. She is also the only attorney to have ever been appointed as a Field Sobriety Test Instructor, which means, in short, that she teaches the police how to conduct a sobriety test in the field. Without a doubt, Tracey Wood is regarded as a drunk driving defense expert advisor.

Federal & Drug Crime Defense

The US Federal District courts in Wisconsin hear cases charged by the Federal government. As well, some crimes charged in Wisconsin are heard in the Federal courts, such as drug crimes involving charges for possession of controlled substances, possession with intent to sell, or attempted sale, for example. The Federal courts operate under a very different set of rules than do the Wisconsin Circuit Courts, and they require that their rules are strictly abided. Consequently, most Wisconsin criminal defense lawyers either do not defend people in the Federal courts, or possess little experience in having done so.

The criminal defense lawyers at Van Wagner & Wood are very experienced in trying cases in the Federal court systems. In fact, Attorney Chris Van Wagner is a former Federal prosecutor who is intimately familiar with the federal investigation process, the federal prosecution methodologies, and the Federal court systems.

United States Federal & Wisconsin State Court of Appeals

A criminal case tried in a Federal court can be appealed to the US Federal Court of Appeals, while a criminal case tried in any one of the Wisconsin Circuit Courts can be appealed to the Wisconsin Court of Appeals, and in some cases to the Federal Court of Appeal, depending upon the issue being brought up on appeal. For some appeals, the US Federal Court of Appeals is the only venue available for the appeal, such as when the constitutionality of a law is questioned.

Van Wagner & Wood's criminal defense lawyers regularly represent defendants on appeal in both the Wisconsin State Court of Appeals and the US Federal Court of Appeals. Those attorneys are very familiar with the variability in the laws at the state level and the Federal level, which can have a tremendous impact on the outcome of your appeal.

The attorneys at Van Wagner & Wood represent people in both state and federal appellate courts for all possible matters that can be brought up on appeal, including a prior conviction, a current sentence, trial court errors, and errors as a matter of law. Those attorneys possess extensive experience in trying and appealing cases, which means that they are experienced in looking for the right issues for an appeal, presenting the facts on appeal in their most favorable light, and presenting verbal argument to increase the likelihood that it will be heard and reversed by the appellate judges.

National Criminal Defense Lawyers

Van Wagner & Wood's criminal defense lawyers represent people who reside in Wisconsin or were charged with a crime or drunk driving offense while visiting Wisconsin, and people who reside anywhere in the United States who have already been convicted of a crime and want to appeal that conviction or sentence. The attorneys at Van Wagner & Wood regularly appear in Wisconsin Circuit Courts in Madison, Baraboo, Janesville, Jefferson, La Crosse, Ladysmith, Monroe, Steven's Point, Waukesha, and Wisconsin Dells, and have recently appeared in the counties and cities listed here.

24-Hour Availability

Whenever you need a criminal defense lawyer, call (608-284-1200) or email the lawyers@vanwagnerandwood.com. One of the attorneys at Van Wagner & Wood is always available. During regular business hours (8 a.m. - 5 p.m.) an experienced criminal defense lawyer will either take your call immediately, or call you back as soon as he or she is available. During any other time, an independent service will answer your call, and then immediately contact one of the Van Wagner & Wood lawyers.

Submit Your Case For A Free Initial Consultation

Are you under investigation for a crime? Were you arrested for drunk driving? Have you been arrested on criminal charges? Were you wrongfully convicted of a crime? Were you sentenced for an excessive period of time or believe the sentence was wrong? If so, please submit your case to the criminal defense lawyers at Van Wagner & Wood, call (608-284-1200) or email the lawyers@vanwagnerandwood.com right away for a brief but professional “first-impression” analysis of your case.

Van Wagner & Wood's lawyers can really help you through this difficult time.

van Wagner & wood criminal defense attorneys...

lawyers YOU CAN really TRUST.

lawyers@vanwagnerandwood.com
608-284-1200

Offices of Van Wagner & Wood

The offices of Van Wagner & Wood are located at 10 East Doty Street in downtown Madison, Wisconsin in close proximity to the US District Court, Wisconsin Supreme Court, District IV, 5th Circuit Court, Madison Municipal Court, and in the same building as the Court of Appeals.

Appeals & Serious Crimes - Homicide - Murder

The criminal defense lawyers at Van Wagner & Wood defend people throughout Wisconsin who are being charged with serious crimes such as RICO (Racketeering), Homicide, Intentional Homicide, Manslaughter, Murder, Negligent Homicide, Reckless Homicide, Vehicular Homicide, Kidnapping, and Felony Murder. In addition to the counties listed below for the 7th Circuit West District (Federal and Drug Crimes), Van Wagner & Wood attorneys also represent people filing an appeal from a prior conviction or sentencing in the counties of Winnebago (Neenah, Menasha, Oshkosh), Outagamie (Appleton), Brown (De Pere, Green Bay), Fond du Lac (Fonddulac), Sheboygan (Sheboygan), and Washington (West Bend), Wisconsin.

Federal & Drug Crimes

Van Wagner & Wood's attorneys often represent people for matters in the federal courts, such as Drug Crimes, and other Federal Crimes throughout the 7th Circuit West District including Adams (Adams, Wisconsin Dells), Ashland (Ashland), Barron (Barron), Bayfield (Washburn, Bayfield), Buffalo (Buffalo City, Mondovi), Burnett (Siren), Chippewa (Chippewa Falls), Clark (Abbotsford), Columbia (Columbus), Crawford (Prairie du Chien), Dane (Belleville, Black Earth, Blue Mounds, Brooklyn, Cambridge, Cottage Grove, Cross Plains, Dane, Deerfield, DeForest, Fitchburg, McFarland, Madison, Maple Bluff, Marshall, Mazomanie, Middleton, Monona, Mount Horeb, Oregon, Rockdale, Shorewood Hills, Stoughton, Sun Prairie, Verona, Waunakee, Windsor), Douglas (Superior), Dunn (Menomonie), Eau Claire (Abbotsford, Eau Claire), Grant (Mount Hope, Lancaster, Fennimore), Green (Monroe), Iowa (Mineral Point, Dodgeville), Jackson (Black River Falls), Jefferson (Jefferson), Juneau (Mauston), La Crosse (LaCrosse, Lafayette, Darlington), Marathon (Wausau), Monroe (Sparta), Pepin (Durand), Pierce (River Falls), Polk (St Croix Falls), Portage (Stevens Point), Price (Park Falls), Richland (Richland Center), Rock (Janesville), Rusk (Ladysmith), St Croix (Hudson), Sauk (Sauk City), Taylor (Medford), Trempealeau (Whitehall), Washburn (Spooner), and Wood (Wisconsin Dells) counties.

Sexual Assault & Sex Crimes

Attorneys Van Wagner & Wood frequently represent people against Sexual Assault, Rape, Computer Sex Crimes, Child Pornography, and other Sex Crimes in the Dane (Madison, Middleton, Monona, Fitchburg), Green (Monroe), Lafayette (Darlington), Dodge (Beaver Dam, Waupun), Portage (Stevens Point), Wood (Wisconsin Rapids), Sauk (Wisconsin Dells), Columbia (Columbus), Richland (Richland Center) and Juneau (Mauston) area.

Drunk Driving (OWI, DUI, DWI)

Madison Attorneys Chris Van Wagner & Tracey Wood are nationally known for their expert representation of drunk driving (commonly called DUI or DWI in most states, but called OWI in Wisconsin). They frequently appear for people charged with drunk driving ( DUI DWI OWI), misdemeanor drunk driving OWI, felony drunk driving, and traffic violations in Madison (Dane County), Richland Center (Richland County), La Crosse (La Crosse County), Jefferson (Jefferson County), Wisconsin Dells (Columbia County and Sauk County), Stevens Point (Portage County), Dodgeville and Mineral Point (Iowa County), Portage (Columbia County) and Montello (Marquette County).

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