Milwaukee Criminal Defense Law Blog

When a company begins to experience periods of financial strain, its owners may wish to determine the root of its struggles. In some cases, a company might attempt to find someone on which to lay the blame, and the investigation can leave an employee accused of white collar crimes. A 44-year-old woman is reportedly facing numerous charges after allegedly embezzling money from several employers in Wisconsin.

While reportedly under investigation for another matter, authorities claim to have uncovered evidence suggesting that the woman had stolen more than $80,000 from one employer. They claim that while working as an accountant for the company, she wrote checks to herself without receiving authorization from the owner. She was subsequently accused of theft in a business setting and was taken into custody before being released on bond.

In his song Cars Are Cars, Paul Simon wrote of someone who "once had a car that was more like a home." Simon wasn't referring to a motor home and reasonable expectation of privacy against police searches; his concerns were more existential, about feeling at home in a world filled with so many strangers.

On a concrete level, however, "cars are cars" in another sense: they (along with other vehicles such as motorcycles) are the subject of the so-called "automobile exception" to the usual requirement under the Fourth Amendment that offers must get a warrant before they can search someone's property.

In this post, we will use a Q & A format to inform you about two recent cases in the U.S. Supreme Court on the scope of the automobile exception.

When a domestic dispute escalates into a physical altercation, it can be difficult to ascertain whether one's actions were taken out with malicious intent or as an act of self defense. Although violent crimes such as homicide carry serious penalties, there must be sufficient evidence to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt before a conviction can be obtained. A 19-year-old man is reportedly facing homicide charges in relation to his alleged involvement in a recent fatal shooting in Wisconsin.

According to authorities, the incident began when they received reports of a domestic dispute at around 3:30 a.m. on a recent Saturday. Upon arriving at the location, they claim to have found the body of a 46-year-old man who had apparently succumbed to a gunshot wound. A mother and her son were also at the residence at the time of the altercation, and the son was taken into custody soon thereafter on suspicion of homicide.

A 22-year-old woman is reportedly facing felony identity theft charges after allegedly stealing and using the bank account information of several others in Wisconsin. White collar crimes such as identity theft carry serious consequences if a conviction is obtained. Those who face such charges could find it beneficial to consult with an attorney early on for assistance in forming a strong defense.

Authorities assert that the investigation began when they received reports that the woman and another individual had used stolen credit cards to make multiple purchases at a variety of stores. While investigating these alleged transactions, investigators claim they also discovered the two had stolen bank account information from as many as eight account holders. After allegedly locating video surveillance of the two making purchases with the stolen information, authorities obtained a warrant for their arrest.