Portage County Criminal Lawyers

Active Scout leader and Council Board member, Elderly Housing Board, Local party treasurer, Radio broadcasting board member. Past Red Cross Chapter President and Water Safety Chair and WSIT. Concentrate in Criminal Law, Probate, Real Estate and General Practice.

Rick Coad is the founder and principal of Coad Law Office, S.C., in Madison, Wisconsin. He is a top-rated criminal defense attorney with more than 19 years of experience. Rick focuses his practice on defending individuals and corporations in state and federal court. His skills have carried him to courts throughout the midwest, and he has argued a case in the United States Supreme Court. He has been named by Super Lawyers thirteen times in his career, most recently in 2023. He is widely considered a leading defense lawyer in Wisconsin.

I have successfully defended the rights of the accused in the full range of criminal and traffic offenses since 1992. I am sensitive to the fact that while I have a busy caseload, this may be your only experience with the criminal justice system. Whether your are accused of a minor traffic violation or a serious felony, you can expect that your matter will be handled with a high level of professionalism, integrity and sensitivity. Remember, it's your case.


Proper communication between attorney and client is the hallmark of effective representation. Clients can expect copies of documents filed on their behalf...

Michael M. Hayes was a founding partner of the Milwaukee law firm of Hayes & Rothstein, 1983-2019.

A Milwaukee native, Mr. Hayes earned his Juris Doctor law degree in 1981 from Marquette University Law School, where he was the Lead Articles Editor on the Law Review. During this time, he also served as a Judicial Intern for Wisconsin Court of Appeals Chief Judge John Decker. His undergraduate studies were completed at the University of Notre Dame and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he graduated in 1977. Within 3 years he was listed in Best Lawyers in America after founding what had...

Kirk Obear began his career in the U.S. Air Force as a JAG, prosecuting military cases. He later became one of the most renowned defense lawyers within the military. In the 1990s, Kirk moved his practice to defend civilians in private practice. Today, with the help of superior legal professionals, he represents individuals facing the most serious crimes.

At our firm, we take a teamwork approach. To us, more muscle means getting the job done faster and better. Frequent meetings, brainstorming, extensive investigation, and applying our years of legal and scientific training are all part of what makes our teamwork approach...

Raymond M. Dall’Osto is a partner with the law firm of Gimbel, Reilly, Guerin & Brown, LLP in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and is admitted to practice law in Wisconsin and Illinois. His practice areas are white-collar and criminal defense in federal and state courts, defense of regulatory investigations, professional discipline defense, ethics and licensing matters, civil litigation, personal injury, employment, and constitutional rights. Ray received his law degree from the Marquette University Law School in 1977. He taught there as an adjunct professor of law from 1985 to 1990, and also has lectured at the University of Wisconsin...

Benjamin Van Severen is a criminal defense attorney who practices in Milwaukee and throughout the state of Wisconsin. He has experience handling all types of cases, from misdemeanors and OWI/DUI to serious felonies, including homicide, sexual assault, crimes involving firearms, and drug crimes. Focusing entirely on criminal defense, Attorney Van Severen has achieved an acquittal rate three times the state average. Attorney Van Severen received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Marquette University in 2010, with majors in Political Science and Criminology, and a minor in Music. He then received his Juris Doctor from Marquette...

Sarah concentrates on two areas of practice: criminal and traffic defense and immigration law. In the area of criminal and traffic defense, Sarah has defended clients at all levels - from local municipal courts through the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. Sarah handles many circuit court trials every year, successfully protecting client interests. Sarah handles all levels of appeal in criminal and traffic cases and has argued several cases in front of the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

Sarah frequently handles charges of drunk driving, sexual assault, substantial battery, theft from employer, delivery of a controlled substance, and all types of criminal and...

Nicole M. Masnica is a Partner at Gimbel, Reilly, Guerin & Brown, LLP in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Working to serve Wisconsin clients and bettering her community has always been a top priority. Nicole has spent countless hours in circuit courts in Southeastern Wisconsin both as a trial attorney and appellate advocate. Prior to joining the firm, Nicole spent nine years representing countless individuals in all stages of criminal litigation at the Wisconsin State Public Defender’s Office, from pre-charging conferences to appellate representation to administrative revocation proceedings. She has tried multiple cases to a jury with successful outcomes and has achieved relief for...

My first trial after graduating law school was a homicide case and we achieved a not guilty verdict. Since then, our firm has achieved innumerable dismissals and acquittals. We have won cases that seem unwindable. We have won cases when clients have confessed to crimes. In one very remarkable case, one of our clients confessed to a crime and pleaded guilty with another lawyer. After coming to us for a second opinion we were able to withdraw his guilty plea, go to trial, and convince a jury of his innocence despite the fact that he confessed his guilt to the...

Attorney John Birdsall has more than 30 years of experience and has earned a reputation as one of the most trusted criminal defense lawyers in Milwaukee and the State of Wisconsin. With over 250 jury trails, mostly for serious felonies such as homicide, he has an acquittal rate that is three times the Wisconsin average. John’s practice is focused exclusively on defending the wrongly accused, and has recently helped a client named Eddie Gill. After being accused of shooting and killing a Milwaukee resident, John helped uncover that the police has interrogated Gill into confessing when he was in...

Attorney Amy C. Scholz is a former state criminal prosecutor who primarily focuses her practice on providing the best defense to clients with criminal defense, traffic, and drunk driving matters. Amy began her practice in Ohio where she worked for the City of Akron Prosecutors Office. She then returned to Wisconsin where she worked as an assistant district attorney before refocusing her practice to criminal defense. Amy is a zealous advocate for her clients. She has successfully argued motions to the court, negotiated the reduction of felony and misdemeanor charges, prevailed at jury trials, and earned...

Breanne Bucher joined the firm in April, 2014. She previously was an associate attorney at a general practice law firm in Waukesha County. Breanne graduated from Valparaiso University School of Law in 2010 and passed the Wisconsin Bar Examination on her first attempt.

In law school, she was a member of the Valparaiso Law Criminal Law Clinic, in which she represented indigent clients charged with both low-level misdemeanors and violent felony offenses. She also interned with the Lake County Public Defender’s Office in Lake County, Indiana and continued to gain experience in criminal defense. Although passionate about criminal law, she discovered...

Kristen Nelson is a Partner at Gimbel, Reilly, Guerin & Brown, LLP in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Prior to joining the firm, Kristen was a solo practitioner in private practice, specializing in criminal and health care defense. She has represented clients before the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services, the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families, the Wisconsin Department of Hearings and Appeals, Wisconsin State Courts, and the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. Kristen graduated from DePaul University College of Law, earning a Health Law Certificate along with her law degree. In September 2012, she became licensed to practice law in the...

Jerome Buting was featured as one of Steven Avery's defense lawyers in the Netflix docuseries "Making a Murderer." He has handled many high profile cases and spoken worldwide about America's criminal justice system. His first book is "Illusion of Justice: Inside Making a Murderer and America's Broken System" (Harper 2017). His current and past speaking engagements are found at http://jbuting.com/speaking-engagements/

Mr. Buting is a shareholder in the Milwaukee area law firm of BUTING, WILLIAMS & STILLING, S.C., where he practices exclusively in the field of criminal law, handling both trials and appeals. He received his B.A. in Forensic Studies from Indiana...

Jason D. Luczak is a trial and appellate attorney at Gimbel, Reilly, Guerin & Brown, LLP in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He represents clients in a variety of practice areas, including criminal and white-collar defense, administrative and licensing matters, and civil litigation in the state and federal courts, as well as municipal courts and administrative agencies throughout Wisconsin and Illinois. His experience includes trying serious felonies and other charges in state and federal court and briefing and arguing appeals before the Wisconsin Supreme Court and the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. Jason is licensed to practice law in...

Jillian J. Scheidegger is a partner at Cafferty & Scheidegger, S.C. Jillian has been with the firm since 2013. She focuses exclusively criminal defense and traffic matters. Her practice includes the representation of adults and juveniles charged with crimes. Her cases typically involve drugs, sexual offenses, property crimes, alcohol and domestic violence. Jillian has represented hundreds of clients, zealously advocating for the best possible result in each and every case. It is important to Jillian that her clients feel informed throughout the process and understand each step of the way. Jillian is passionate about obtaining excellent results for her clients...

Paul was born in Milwaukee, WI and grew up on the south side of Milwaukee. Paul has five brothers and was raised by a single mom. Growing up on the south side of Milwaukee, Paul attended the local Catholic grade school and worked his way through school by working at gas stations, having a paper route and doing whatever he could to raise money to pay for tuition and books. Paul attended Pius XI high school and, once again, worked to pay all costs of his education, as did his five brothers.

Upon graduating from high school, Paul took a year...

Mr. Cafferty’s credentials and awards include: + Graduate of Marquette University Law School + Member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers + Member of the Wisconsin Association Criminal Defense Lawyers + Named in Super Lawyers Magazine 2008 – 2021 + Earned the Distinguished Martindale-Hubbell AV* Peer Review Rating + Named in Best Lawyers in America 2013-2021 Edition for Criminal Defense Mr. Cafferty has developed solid professional relationships and a reputation of being honest with judges and prosecutors throughout Southeast Wisconsin. From offices in Racine, criminal defense lawyer Patrick Cafferty defends the rights of people charged with state and federal criminal offenses throughout Southeastern Wisconsin and Northern...

Since 1994, I have aggressively defended OWI and criminal cases throughout Wisconsin. My practice is statewide, focusing solely on drunk driving, criminal and traffic defense. I have successfully defended hundreds of OWI cases. I have been the lead attorney on more than 1000 OWI jury trials. My years of experience practicing in Wisconsin and my former law clerk experience have given me a unique perspective from both sides of the aisle. I fully understand the necessity of having the representation of a qualified attorney in an OWI case. Prior to working in Wisconsin, I was a law clerk for...

Scott McCarthy has been in practice since 1991 and is one of the most experienced trial lawyers in southern Wisconsin. Scott has taken countless cases to trial in Rock County, Dane County, Waukesha County, Jefferson County and more surrounding counties and counties around the State. He has won at every level including the Supreme Court Scott's success was noticed in 2007 when one of the larger firms in Madison asked Scott to join their litigation team. Scott founded the Janesviille branch of Murphy Desmond and was quickly named to the firm's Litigation Executive Committee where he helped guide the...

Carl B. Johnson was born and raised in Racine. Attorney Johnson received his law degree from the Marquette University Law School in 2006 and his undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. Carl is licensed to practice in Wisconsin and the Eastern District of Wisconsin. Attorney Johnson’s practice specializes in all areas of criminal defense, including juvenile law, zealously defending his clients throughout southeastern Wisconsin. He represents clients charged with misdemeanors and serious felonies including drug offenses, gun crimes, domestic violence, property crimes, homicide, and sexual assault. Attorney Johnson has extensive trial experience,...

Attorney Johansen is a Superior native who graduated from the UWS-Superior with a B.A. in History, cum laude. He earned his J.D. in San Diego, California. While in law school, Johansen worked for Federal Defender's of San Diego, Inc. After passing the bar examination, Johansen began handling cases in Douglas County and surrounding Wisconsin counties. Attorney Johansen has served as both President and Vice President of the Douglas County Bar Association and is a member of the State Bar of Wisconsin. For the past two decades, he has been President of Johansen Law Office, S.C. where he focuses...

Ms. Stephanie Rock graduated from Lakeland University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Management and Criminal Justice. She then received her Juris Doctorate from the University of Wisconsin Madison. While in law school, Ms. Rock worked for the Legal Assistance to Institutionalized Persons Clinic, assisting Wisconsin prison inmates with post-conviction matters. This experience is what made Ms. Rock passionate about criminal defense work. She was also a student in the Federal Appeals Project which handles direct appeals for federal inmates. This allowed Ms. Rock to enhance her legal writing skills and become a strong advocate for her clients....

Atty. Matthew Pinix has represented hundreds of individuals in postconviction, appellate, habeas, and civil rights matters. He has also given several educational talks to lawyers, law students, and the public about criminal appeals and the processes involved.

On multiple occasions, he has been invited by other lawyers to represent individuals or organizations before the Wisconsin Supreme Court in criminal cases.

Every year since 2013, he has been selected by his peers for inclusion in Super Lawyers Magazine as a Rising Star, an award given to no more than 2.5% of the attorneys in Wisconsin.

Prior to becoming a practicing lawyer, Matthew worked as...

Franklyn M. Gimbel founded GRGB after serving as an Assistant United States Attorney from 1963 through 1968. His experience as a federal prosecutor has proven invaluable in developing a successful private criminal defense law practice.

Over the years, Frank has expanded his practice into civil litigation, including complex business, employment, communications, and First Amendment cases. He has represented small businesses and large corporations, as well as individuals ranging from working men and women to judges, CEOs, and other professionals. No person's problem is too insignificant or too complicated.

Helping people is Frank's passion and the cornerstone of his practice. As he so...

Criminal defense attorney Brian C. Nelson earned his Bachelor degree from Indiana University in 2012. He continued his legal education at Indiana University, and earned his Juris Doctorate in 2016. During law school, Mr. Nelson focused on trial advocacy and criminal defense, taking every available course and clinic in those fields. In his second year, he interned at the Marion County Prosecutors Office for a semester before leaving to clerk for a private criminal defense attorney. Mr. Nelson was on the board of his legal fraternity, and competed as a member of his school’s trial advocacy team his last two...

Attorney Nicole A. Muller has recently joined Birdsall Obear & Associates, SC as an associate attorney. Not only is Attorney Muller a graduate of Catholic University in Washington D.C. where she studied Political Science and Studio Art, but before going to law school also graduated from Columbia University in New York City. After graduating from Columbia, Attorney Muller decided to dedicate her life to fixing our broken criminal justice system in this country. This passion to bring about positive change is what brought Attorney Muller to the great state of Wisconsin and Marquette University Law School.

Attorney Muller graduated from Marquette...

Stephen R Zuber, S.C. Attorney At Law has over 30 years local experience practicing in Superior, Wisconsin as well as in Duluth, Minnesota, and their surrounding areas. No matter what your legal needs, Stephen R. Zuber will represent you diligently, effectively, and will present your case to obtain the most optimal results.??

When someone trusts me to defend them and their good name, I take it very seriously. My clients have the option of choosing any attorney to represent them in court. So, when an individual decides to choose me, I want to provide them with quality representation in return.


Most of...

I choose to defend those who are being prosecuted because ultimately, I believe in you. Whether you are innocent or guilty of the charges being pursued against you by the Government, I believe that you are more than the person who is reflected in a criminal complaint. The role of a good defense attorney is to ensure that your side of the story is told, that your character and good acts are not forgotten, and that ultimately you are given the consideration and justice you deserve.

Attorney Micabil Diaz has been practicing law over 30 years. His legal career can succinctly be summarized as one of service; both at the governmental and the not-for profit arena. His career includes significant litigation experience in both state and federal venues, including the military pursuant to the Uniformed Code of Military Justice. Upon his honorable discharge from military service, Attorney Diaz returned to Wisconsin where he appeared as the attorney of record in over 200 cases in courts throughout the state, representing individuals and institutions in a myriad of legal areas. As to...

As a respected former federal prosecutor, Tom joined Gimbel, Reilly, Guerin & Brown, LLP in 1978. His superlative understanding of the federal court system is highly praised among the Wisconsin Law community; however, he prides himself on tailoring his legal expertise to meet the unique needs of each client and each case. In his own words, Tom suggests that he is "not a lawyer, but rather an advocate for the client." Tom's experience in the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Wisconsin has given him the tools needed to build a highly successful white-collar criminal defense...

Before joining Gimbel, Reilly, Guerin & Brown, LLP as an Associate, Adam J. Schleis worked for seven years in the Wisconsin State Public Defender’s Office where he did trial-level defense work. His practice later expanded to include cases beyond criminal defense such as those involving mental health, guardianship, child protective services and family law— working with clients from pre-charging all the way through jury trial. In his eight years of experience, Adam has tried plenty of cases in front of a jury. To schedule your initial consultation with the Wisconsin Criminal Defense Attorney, visit online or call 414-271-1440.

I practice as a criminal defense lawyer because I believe that the rights of all depend on the rights of one. As a result, each person’s rights must be vigilantly safeguarded against the powers of the state. An unfettered state results in the very tyranny our Founding Fathers sought to protect us against with the Constitution.

Cameron Weitzner is an associate with Gimbel, Reilly, Guerin & Brown LLP in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Prior to joining the firm, Cameron spent five years advocating for clients and litigating cases at the Wisconsin State Public Defender’s Office. Cameron has represented clients pre-charge all the way to jury trial and has achieved successful outcomes for many clients. His motion practice resulted in cases being dismissed or evidence being suppressed because of unconstitutional police or government conduct. Cameron received his J.D. from Marquette University in 2015 where he graduated in the top 25% of his class. While in law school, Cameron was selected to...

Eric Schanowski is an Associate with Gimbel, Reilly, Guerin & Brown, LLP in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Prior to joining the firm, Eric worked as a prosecutor at the Cook County State's Attorney's Office and as an employment litigator. Eric is admitted to practice in Wisconsin. Eric graduated from the University of Michigan in 2014 with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies and a minor in Spanish. He received his JD from Northwestern Pritzker School of Law in 2018. While in law school, Eric was the Online Managing Editor for the Northwestern University Law Review and a member of the Moot Court Society....

Attorney David K Anderson has been practicing criminal defense for over 6 years. Attorney Anderson focuses solely on Criminal Defense. He defends individuals charged with violating Wisconsin's criminal statutes. His firm, DK Anderson, S.C. specializes in defending against OWIs, drug crimes, property crimes, domestic violence, and violent crimes. We are client focused and work hard to keep the communication channels open so our clients are not left in the dark. We will aggressively defend you and your rights all at an affordable fee.

An accomplished defense attorney with a background in prosecution.

Attorney Christopher M. Glinski is an aggressive and experienced Racine criminal defense, divorce, and child custody lawyer. He has dedicated his career to aggressively defending the rights of his clients and getting his clients great results. He also handles traffic tickets.

Attorney Glinski has consistently been rated one of the top lawyers in Wisconsin. He was recently recognized as one of the "Top 40 Trial Lawyers under 40" in Wisconsin and nationally recognized as one of the "Top 100 Criminal Defense Lawyers." He works in Racine and Kenosha, Wisconsin.

Call (262) 632-1555 for a free consultation....