Case Results Serious felony proof

Serious Felony Case Results

Serious felony defense is about pressure, preparation, and credibility. The work can involve trial, suppression, witness impeachment, mitigation, sentencing advocacy, and sometimes years of post-verdict litigation.

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These are the cases where the defense has to do more than react to the complaint. We look for the fact that changes the theory, the witness problem the State cannot ignore, the mitigation evidence the court needs to hear, or the legal error that changes the posture of the case.

The examples are representative and, where public reporting exists, linked for context. Names are minimized here unless already public in the linked story.

Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Every case depends on its own facts, law, judge, prosecutor, record, and timing.

Representative outcomes

What changed the case

No prison Racine County

Attempted homicide sentencing resulted in probation

Issue: Teen client faced up to 60 years after jury conviction on attempted homicide with dangerous weapon.
Result: Court imposed five years of probation and client was released from custody at sentencing.
Avoided: Prison sentence after a high-exposure violent felony conviction.

Sentencing focused on defense-of-a-third-party facts, lack of prior record, youth, rehabilitation, and the real-world context behind the altercation.

Read the sentencing story Homicide defense

Full dismissal Racine County

Solicitation to commit homicide dismissed before trial

Issue: State relied heavily on a confidential informant with credibility problems.
Result: Charges dismissed one week before jury trial.
Avoided: Trial and conviction risk on a homicide-solicitation allegation.

The defense assembled impeachment material on the informant, including prior forgery convictions that went directly to truthfulness.

Read the dismissal story Carl Johnson bio

Conviction vacated Kenosha County

Sexual-assault conviction set aside

Issue: Post-trial juror affidavits raised serious concerns about deliberation pressure and verdict unanimity.
Result: Judge set aside conviction, declared a mistrial, and released client on signature bond.
Avoided: Continuing incarceration under a disputed verdict.

The defense pursued post-verdict relief quickly and developed the juror record needed to reopen the case.

Read the release story Sexual assault defense

Felony reduced Walworth County

Armed robbery reduced to theft from person

Issue: Weapon was initially reported as a firearm.
Result: Armed element struck after forensic review showed a pellet gun.
Avoided: Class C felony exposure from the armed-robbery charge.

The defense focused on the element that made the charge most dangerous. Once the weapon proof changed, the charging posture changed with it.

Armed robbery and theft defense Property crime defense

Not guilty Racine County

CCW charge ended in not guilty finding

Issue: Whether the firearm was concealed within the meaning of the statute.
Result: Court agreed with the defense at bench trial and found client not guilty.
Avoided: Criminal conviction for carrying a concealed weapon.

The defense narrowed the case to the statutory meaning of concealment and showed why the evidence did not satisfy it.

CCW charges defense Weapons charges defense

Defense pattern

The work behind these results

Prepare for trial even when resolution is possible

Serious cases move when the defense is ready to attack proof, cross-examine witnesses, and try the case if needed.

Find the witness or element problem

Identity, intent, mitigation, informant credibility, weapon proof, and unanimity can all become case-changing issues.

Make sentencing a defense phase

When conviction risk remains, mitigation, context, treatment, family support, and rehabilitation can decide whether prison is avoided.

Built for hard cases

Serious defense, specific proof, clear next steps.

Cafferty & Scheidegger has defended state and federal criminal matters in Southeastern Wisconsin since 1994. If you are weighing risk, start with the consequence you need to avoid and get the case reviewed now.

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