Walk It Through: Stopped In Wisconsin
A license and insurance on a phone, a stop on foot, and a first offense.
Lights behind you on the highway. The officer asks for your license and insurance.
Two things a person in this spot might do. Picking one shows what the law says about it.
Two stops and a first offense. The implied consent rules, the roadside sobriety tests, what a frisk may turn up beyond weapons, and the later counts of impaired driving are not covered here.
A practice walkthrough, not a prediction of how any real one will go. Legal information, not legal advice.
Words this turns on
Terms with a legal meaning that is narrower than the everyday one. Each links to the definition and the authority behind it.
- FriskA search for weapons during a stop, allowed when the officer reasonably suspects someone is in danger of physical injury.
- Temporary questioningA stop in a public place for a reasonable period, on reasonable suspicion of a crime, during which the officer may demand the person's name and address and an explanation of the person's conduct.
- Detectable amountAny measurable amount of a restricted controlled substance in the blood, which by itself is enough for the impaired driving offense.
- First offense forfeitureA first impaired driving violation is a civil forfeiture of $150 to $300.
- ForfeitureA penalty that carries money only: Class A up to $10,000, Class B up to $1,000, Class C up to $500.
- OperatePhysically working any control needed to put the vehicle in motion. No one may drive or operate while under the influence to a degree that makes them incapable of safely driving, or with a prohibited alcohol concentration.
- Proof of insuranceProof of a motor vehicle liability policy, which the driver has in immediate possession and displays on demand of a traffic officer. It may be printed or electronic.