On Point blog, page 1 of 36

COA holds that exclusionary rule does not apply to evidence of defendant’s flight from police after traffic stop was allegedly unlawfully extended.

State of Wisconsin v. Alsherrife Mire, 2024AP2481-CR, 2/4/26, District II (recommended for publication); case activity

In a decision recommended for publication, the COA affirmed the circuit court’s order denying the defendant’s motion to suppress the fruits of his allegedly unlawfully extended traffic stop because evidence of his flight from police was not derived from the stop.

Read full article >

COA affirms circuit court’s finding of reasonable suspicion for traffic stop resulting in OWI 3rd

State v. Troy A. Wry, 2023AP561, 2/3/26, District III (ineligible for publication); case activity

Wry appeals his conviction for OWI 3rd, arguing the circuit court erred by denying his motion to suppress evidence because law enforcement lacked reasonable suspicion that Wry had committed, or was committing, an offense sufficient to conduct an investigatory stop of his vehicle. COA affirms.

Read full article >

COA affirms traffic stop for reasonable suspicion of noise ordinance violation

State v. Jacobe Michael Gimmel, 2025AP1037 & 2025AP1537, 1/29/26, District IV (ineligible for publication); case activity

Gimmel appeals his conviction for OWI 2nd and the revocation of his driver’s license for refusing a chemical test. The sole issue in the consolidated appeal is whether the officer who stopped Gimmel had reasonable suspicion to do so. COA affirms, concluding the officer had reasonable suspicion that Gimmel had violated a local noise ordinance.

Read full article >

COA: OWI suspect was not under arrest when transported to police station to perform field sobriety tests.

State of Wisconsin v. Brenda L. Roszina, 2024AP898, 1/13/26, District I (ineligible for publication); case activity

COA affirms the circuit court’s order denying the defendant’s motion to suppress the fruits of field sobriety tests because the investigatory stop did not ripen into an arrest without probable cause when police transported the defendant from a parking lot to the police station one mile away to perform the tests.

Read full article >

COA expresses skepticism about window tint argument and upholds OWI stop

State v. Joseph M. Heroff,  2025AP684-CR, 12/23/25, District II (ineligible for publication); case activity

COA applies general reasonable suspicion principles to uphold a stop based on overly dark tint, holding that the officer’s testimony was sufficient and that he did not need to articulate any specific expertise as to the legal tint percentage.

Read full article >

COA affirms denial of suppression motion in OWI 3rd case based on concession

State v. Richard T. Weske, 2025AP154-CR, 11/5/25, District II (ineligible for publication); case activity

Weske appeals the circuit court’s denial of his motion to suppress evidence on the basis that the investigatory traffic stop constituted an unreasonable seizure because the officer was outside his jurisdiction and was therefore without authority to conduct the stop. COA affirms, concluding that the officer had reasonable suspicion to conduct a traffic stop for a suspected OWI, and Weske conceded that the officer had the authority to do so outside his jurisdiction under Wis. Stat. § 349.03(4).

Read full article >

COA rejects “impermissible extension” challenge to traffic stop in OWI appeal

Fond du Lac County v. Andrew Joseph Ludwig, 2025AP183, 8/20/25, District II (one-judge decision; ineligible for publication); case activity

Ludwig appeals from a judgment convicting him of OWI 1st, and challenges the order denying his suppression motion. He contends that the sheriff deputies “unconstitutionally detain[ed him]” by failing to conduct the OWI investigation in a sufficiently diligent manner. COA disagrees and affirms.

Read full article >

COA holds that driver’s odor of alcohol and prior conviction for OWI provides reasonable suspicion to extend traffic stop

State v. Peter Joseph Idell, 2024AP2230, District I, 6/17/25 (one-judge decision; ineligible for publication); case activity

The COA holds that an odor of intoxicants and the driver’s 2009 conviction for OWI established reasonable suspicion to extend stop for expired license plates to investigate OWI.

Read full article >

Defense Win: Circuit court erroneously exercised discretion when it denied motion to suppress under independent source doctrine without evidentiary hearing

State v. Timothy J. Petrie, 2024AP2629-CR, 6/11/25, District 2, (1-judge opinion, ineligible for publication); case activity (including briefs)

Petrie argued the officer lacked probable cause to perform a preliminary breath test (PBT), therefore all evidenced gathered afterward must be suppressed. On appeal, he contends that the circuit court improperly applied the independent source doctrine because the state failed to present evidence at the suppression hearing and the court relied on the complaint. COA reverses and remands for an evidentiary hearing on the suppression motion.

Read full article >

COA affirms PAC conviction, concludes officer had reasonable suspicion to extend traffic stop for FSTs

City of West Bend v. Logan Patrick Lang, 2024AP2559, District II, 6/4/25 (one-judge decision; ineligible for publication); case activity

COA affirms the circuit court’s order denying Lang’s suppression motion. Lang did not challenge the initial stop, but argued that the officer lacked reasonable suspicion to extend the stop for field sobriety tests.

Read full article >