Latest news with #WisconsinDMV
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
DOT: First year of emergency contact program sees over 82,000 Wisconsinites take advantage
MADISON, Wis. (WFRV) – In the first year of the Wisconsin DMV allowing motorists and individuals to add an emergency contact to their license or ID, WisDOT officials say over 82,000 Wisconsites took advantage. According to a release, a total of 82,133 people in the Badger State have added contact information to either their driver's license or ID through a convenient online process. Wisconsin State Patrol's 'Click It or Ticket' campaign results in more than 1,300 citations Officials say Gov. Tony Evers signed the 'To Inform Families First' (TIFF law) in 2023 as a way to provide law enforcement with the ability to more quickly contact the family or loved ones of someone involved in an emergency. The number of people signing up averages a little over one thousand per week. As with all DMV services now available online, people can easily add this information themselves online anytime. DMV Bureau of Driver Services Director Tina Braddy Adding emergency contact information to a driver's license or ID is said to be voluntary, and the information will not physically appear on the card. The only people who will have access to the information are law enforcement, including police in other states. Those looking to add emergency contact information to their license or ID can do so here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Here's how Maxwell Anderson's criminal trial will work, from jury selection to a verdict
Maxwell S. Anderson's criminal trial in the murder of 19-year-old college student Sade Carleena Robinson is officially underway. Anderson, 34, has been charged with killing and dismembering Robinson, who was last seen April 1, 2024 on a date with him. In the weeks after she was reported missing, severed human remains belonging to Robinson were discovered around Milwaukee County Unlike a civil trial, which concerns disputes between individuals, a criminal trial involves the government prosecuting the case against a person charged with a crime. Anderson's trial is also unique in that the court is calling a larger than normal pool of potential jurors to decide the case. Here's what to expect as the trial unfolds, including how a verdict and potential sentencing will work. The two sides in a criminal trial are the prosecution and defense. The prosecution represents the government, and the defense represents the person charged with the crime. In this case, the state of Wisconsin is attempting to prove Anderson is guilty. The government has the burden of proof in a criminal trial. That means the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty, and the state of Wisconsin must prove he is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If the jury determines the state has not adequately proven guilt, then Anderson will be acquitted of the charges. Anderson was charged with first-degree intentional homicide, mutilation of a corpse and arson on April 12, 2024. In Milwaukee County, prospective jurors are randomly selected from the Wisconsin DMV's lists of driver's licenses and other issued identification. Eligible jurors are Milwaukee County residents and U.S. citizens who are at least 18 years old and understand English. People who have been summoned for jury duty within the last four years and/or are convicted felons whose civil rights have not been restored are not eligible. After a group of potential jurors is assembled, attorneys on both sides will ask the jurors questions to determine their eligibility to serve on the jury. This process is called voir dire. Depending on the circumstances of the case, each side is allowed to dismiss a certain number of jurors without stating a reason. There is no limit on the number of jurors each side can request to dismiss with cause, according to the Wisconsin Jury Handbook. In Milwaukee County, jury pools typically consist of 30 to 40 people, which is then culled to 14 for the final jury. All 14 hear testimonies, but only 12 are asked to decide a verdict. However, in Anderson's trial, the court is assembling an unusually large jury pool of 50 to 70 people. That means jury selection, which begins 9 a.m. on May 27, could take several days. A draft questionnaire for the Anderson trial, filed in November 2024, says potential jurors will be asked if they've served on a jury in the past, if they know the defendant or the victim and if they have seen previous news coverage of the case. In widely publicized cases, jurors are sometimes sequestered in hotel rooms with limited media access throughout the trial to avoid any outside information or opinions influencing their verdict. The court has not shared any information about whether jurors in the Anderson trial will be sequestered. Typically, requests for sequestration are made before the trial starts. After jury selection is over, the prosecution and defense will both present an opening statement of their case to the jury. Next, the prosecution — in this case, the state of Wisconsin — will present their case attempting to prove the defendant is guilty. This can include physical evidence, videos and photos, and witness testimonies. After the prosecution questions a witness on the stand, the defense is allowed to cross-examine, or question, the same witness. The prosecution can then question the witness one more time if they wish, which is called redirect examination. After the prosecution has rested its case, the process repeats with the defense presenting its evidence. The defense does not have the burden to prove anything, but criminal defense strategies can include pointing out inconsistencies in the prosecution's case, arguing someone other than the defendant is guilty, or arguing the defendant was mentally ill at the time of the crime. After both sides have presented their evidence, the prosecution will deliver a closing statement, followed by the defense. Defendants have the right to remain silent and refuse to testify at trial. It is common practice for defendants to choose not to testify. A judge will give the jury instructions about what factors must be proven for a conviction of a specific charge. Juries can be instructed to consider what are known as "lesser included" offenses. For example, a jury may have the option of considering a charge first-degree intentional homicide or the less serious offense of first-degree reckless homicide. Following closing statements, the jury will go to a deliberation room to decide its verdict. In a criminal trial, the verdict must be unanimous; if jurors cannot agree on a verdict, then a hung jury is declared, and the case may be retried. There is no time limit on deliberation, and jurors can deliberate anywhere from hours to weeks to decide a verdict. If the defendant is found guilty, the judge will set a date for sentencing. This is often not for several weeks, or even months, after the trial concludes. In the interim, people affected by the crime can submit victim impact statements to the court. Along with factors like the seriousness of the crime and the defendant's criminal history, the judge will take these statements into account when determining the sentence. If convicted of first-degree intentional homicide, Anderson faces a mandatory life sentence. Anderson's trial is scheduled to start 9 a.m. on Tuesday, May 27 and last two weeks. The trial will be held in the Milwaukee County Safety Building, part of the county's Courthouse Complex. Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Laura Crivello will preside over the trial. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: How will Maxwell Anderson criminal trial work? Jury selection, verdict
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Yahoo
Woman in Fond du Lac County found guilty of trafficking daughter; sentencing pending co-defendant's trial
FOND DU LAC, Wis. (WFRV) – A 34-year-old woman in the U.S. illegally has been found guilty of multiple charges connected to the trafficking and sexual assault of her own daughter. Elia Antonio pled guilty on May 12 to trafficking a child, failure to act to prevent sexual assault of a child, and two counts of misdemeanor bail jumping. Her sentencing will be scheduled following the trial of her co-defendant, 32-year-old Juan Carlos Rocha Mejia, who is also reportedly in the U.S. illegally. Wisconsin schools warn parents about viral TikTok challenge involving Chromebook fires The convictions stem from an investigation that revealed Antonio allowed Rocha Mejia to sexually assault her daughter in exchange for approximately $250. Wisconsin DMV reports nearly 6,000 vehicles with odometer rollback, $37 million fraud loss in 2024 'Today is a step toward justice for the survivor and holding the defendant accountable for her despicable actions involving her own child,' Fond du Lac District Attorney Eric Toney said in a statement. Rocha Mejia is scheduled to go to trial on June 23, 2025. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Wisconsin DMV reports nearly 6,000 vehicles with odometer rollback, $37 million fraud loss in 2024
(WFRV) – Officials with the Wisconsin DMV are reminding car buyers to verify he mileage of a vehicle before buying it after nearly 6,000 vehicles were found to have a rolled-back odometer and $37 million was lost in fraud last year. According to a release from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, rolling back the odometer of a vehicle to change the vehicle's apparent mileage is becoming a more common method of fraud. 'I'm obsessed with you': Student teacher in Menasha accused of misconduct with a student, officially charged Last year, investigations led by the Wisconsin DMV's Dealer and Agent Section identified 5,961 vehicles showing signs of a rolled-back odometer, marking a sharp increase from the 1,736 identified throughout 2023. Illegally manipulating odometers to roll back the mileage numbers before a sale has been around for decades. Today's fraudsters, however, have kept pace with technology and essentially hack the vehicle's computer to change the mileage. This puts the new owner at risk. DMV Dealer and Agent Section Chief Maura Schifalacqua Officials say an estimated 613,910,784 miles were rolled off the 5,961 vehicles identified as showing signs of odometer rollback. The estimated amount of money due to this fraud is based on a $0.06 per mile damage calculation, totalling out to an estimated $36,834,647. In 2023, the Wisconsin DMV identified a significantly lower 181,706,452 miles rolled of the odometers of vehicles, resulting in an estimated fraud loss of $10,902,387. Instances of odometer rollbacks are often said to be caught when a vehicle is sold, which is what was said to have happened in instances of Wisconsin wholesalers who illegally sold vehicles to retail purchasers from Wisconsin and other states, non-Wisconsin dealers/wholesalers selling to retail purchasers from Wisconsin, private parties selling to purchasers from Wisconsin, and through title processing errors. Multiple explosions, 30-foot flames seen at manufacturing plant in Wisconsin DMV officials say they revoked 20 wholesale dealer licenses throughout 2024 due to odometer and title fraud, which is equal to the combined amount of wholesale dealer licenses revoked in 2022 and 2023. Odometer fraud is used to increase profit but also to gain a competitive advantage within the used vehicle market. For example, prospective buyers often search Facebook Marketplace for vehicles with less mileage. As odometer fraud gains prevalence within a market, the motivation to commit odometer fraud may become less about gaining competitive advantage and more about keeping up with fraudulent competitors. Consumers suffer as a result. DMV Investigator Joel Ingebrigtson There are things that those who buy new vehicles can do to check for fraud and odometer rollbacks. These things include the following: Check the title of the vehicle and compare the mileage listed to the vehicle's odometer. Look closely to ensure the mileage notation has not been obscured or altered. Ask for or check a vehicle history report, such as from CARFAX, and look for odometer discrepancies in the vehicle's history. Check the maintenance or inspection records for the vehicle and compare them to the odometer mileage. Check that the numbers on the odometer gauge align correctly on mechanical odometers. Look at the tires and overall condition of the vehicle. For example, if the odometer on the car shows 20,000 or less, it should have original tires. The general wear and tear of the vehicle should be consistent with the number of miles displayed on the odometer. Officials also say to check the title of a vehicle, as it typically has an odometer printed on the front of it. They add that buyers should check that part of the title for whiteout or any other signs that it may have been tampered with. For more information on the rights that consumers have and for additional online resources, visit the Wisconsin DMV website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Yahoo
How to know if you have a REAL ID in Wisconsin:
(WFRV) – Planning to fly within the United States? Make sure your identification is REAL ID compliant, as federal requirements are now in effect. In Wisconsin, you can tell if your driver's license or state ID is compliant by checking for a star in the upper right-hand corner. Marinette County crash leads to the death of an 18-year-old woman If your card has the star, it meets the federal standards set by the REAL ID Act of 2005. REAL IDs are required for domestic air travel and for accessing certain federal facilities, such as military bases or federal buildings. 'Impacts and implications on community': Oshkosh PD investigating numerous graffiti incidents on City's southside If your ID does not have a star, you can still use it—just not for flying or entering those secured federal facilities. Residents who do not plan to fly do not need to upgrade. To check your REAL ID status or learn how to get one, visit Wisconsin DMV's REAL ID page. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
