The Minnesota Court of Appeals upheld the murder conviction of Roseville resident Timothy Bakdash despite his defense lawyers claim that he should not be convicted because the victim that he killed was not the person Bakdash originally set out to harm.

In a ruling on May 20, the appeals court affirmed Bakdash’s 2012 conviction for the hit-and-run killing of University of Minnesota senior Benjamin Van Handel of Appleton, Wisconsin, even though the defense said Van Handel was not Bakdash’s intended victim.

The court noted that even though Bakdash didn’t kill the intended victim, as long as he had intent to kill and that intent resulted in the harm of another person, the crime can still be considered murder due to transferred intent.

Facing criminal charges as serious as murder is frightening. In order to give yourself the best possible defense against such charges, speak with the experienced lawyers of Kohler, Hart & Priebe by calling 414-271-9595.

A Green Bay, Wisconsin resident charged with committing arson in a store Tuesday night, March 5 underwent a competency test on March 18 to determine if he has full mental health.

Shannon Viel, lawyer for James Parrish, 53, said efforts are being taken to have the test soon as, according to her, Parrish is not receiving his medications in jail and should be getting medical and psychological attention from the Brown County Human Services staff.

Parrish was charged with arson as a hate crime, first-degree recklessly endangering safety, and carrying a concealed weapon due to allegedly walking into a Dollar Land store on 1020 N. Irwin Avenue and setting its cash register afire by using a medicine bottle filled with gasoline.

Police found a concealed knife in Parrish’s boot and deemed him argumentative and uncooperative, allegedly saying he was working for the U.S. National Security of America.

If you, like Parrish, are facing arson charges, you should know you are not alone in dealing with these charges and potential penalties. Our attorneys at Kohler, Hart & Priebe work with those charged of such crimes to defend themselves and their freedoms, helping to potentially reduce or get rid of any associated penalties. Call 888-565-7597 today to find out how we can help you.

A judge dismissed the case against a mother supposedly involved with the death of her daughter due to the statute of limitations expiring.

Charges of accessory to a felony (Class IV felony) and false reporting (Class I misdemeanor) against 25-year-old Appleton, Wisconsin resident Charyse Geurts were dropped by Scotts Bluff County District Court Judge Leo Dobrovolny last Thursday, April 5.

This was an offshoot of Bell Island’s, Geurt’s attorney, motion to abandon the case. He argued that the obstruction case’s three-year allowable time for the prosecution of the case had already lapsed.

Geurts was indicted for allegedly not answering questions raised by the police following the death of her daughter, two-year-old Juliette Serenity, on July 11, 2008. She died due to head and abdomen trauma.

Charges weren’t filed until Geurt’s aunt, Monica Hall, initiated a petition for a grand jury investigation in July 2012.

Facing criminal charges, especially those as serious as homicide or accessory to a felony, which carry felony penalties can be stressful and frightening. Fortunately, you can get an aggressive defense when you work with the lawyers at Kohler & Hart. Call 414-271-9595 to find out how we can help you.

New York archbishop Timothy Dolan has recently received flak for the way in which his old archdiocese transferred money into several funds for individual parishes and cemetery maintenance despite facing a sexual abuse lawsuit.

Cardinal Dolan, who had been Milwaukee’s archbishop from 2002 to 2009, was alleged to have put $55 million into a fund for cemetery maintenance and as much as $74 million into a fund for individual parishes at the same time the parish was facing lawsuits against Wisconsin priests, so that Dolan could “avoid having to pay the survivors,” the plaintiff’s lawyer Jeff Anderson said.

The Milwaukee archdiocese declared bankruptcy in 2011, the same year several priests were defendants in lawsuits. However, while bankruptcy court judge Susan Kelley found the 2005 transfer of money to the Parish Deposit Fund “fishy,” she ruled in December 2011 that the move was legitimate as the money belonged to different parishes.

Facing any criminal charge, but particularly those as serious as the sexual abuse charges the priests faced or potential fraud one Dolan could face, can be overwhelming and stressful. However, with the help of a lawyer from Kohler, Hart & Priebe, you can build a strong defense. Call 414-271-9595 to discuss your charges and find out what may be done for you.

In a much-publicized case, a man who allegedly killed a New York City police officer during a robbery was found guilty of second-degree aggravated manslaughter, escaping the higher penalty of first-degree murder, as a New York City jury ruled that the killing was an accident and not intentional. Lamont Pride, who along with four other suspects, Nelson Morales, Ariel Tejada, Kevin Santos, and Michael Velez, were accused of planning to rob a drug dealer in Brooklyn on Dec. 12, 2011, was also found guilty of burglary and will be serving 25 years to life in prison. Pride testified that the loaded 9-millimeter semi-automatic pistol that he was holding just went off and hit Officer Peter Figowski—who came to the scene of the crime—in the face. Figowski later died in the hospital he was rushed to. The case against the other accused individuals has yet to come to a close.

Being charged with a crime as serious as murder can have an effect on every aspect of your life, which is why you shouldn’t leave your defense to chance. If you or someone you know has been charged with murder or another criminal offense, contact the legal team at Kohler, Hart & Priebe today by calling 414-271-9595.

A 74-year-old Texas millionaire is facing allegations that he engaged in sexual activities with minors.

Stanley Marsh 3, who prefers the Arabic numeral “3″ over the Roman “III,” has been charged with five counts of sexual conduct with a child six counts of child sexual abuse. His accusers, multiple young boys between the ages of 15 and 17, claim that Marsh paid them in exchange for increasingly lewd sexual favors.

In the past, Marsh has been accused of indecency with a child, but there were no charges pressed. He has also been accused of kidnapping and aggravated assault, but had the charges dropped as part of a plea bargain.

Marsh, a known philanthropist and supporter of arts in his hometown of Amarillo, suffered multiple strokes last year and has been left incapacitated and his wife has been named his legal guardian. His criminal defense attorneys are fighting the charges, claiming that Marsh is not guilty of the accusations.

They question the timing of the charges for these alleged abuses that occurred in 2010. They also shed doubt on the accusers for going to a personal injury attorney years afterwards rather than straight to the police when the incidents occurred. They also believe that the investigation against Marsh is far from complete and that these accusations have arisen to take advantage of his poor health.

Merely being charged with sexual crimes can do a lot to tarnish an individual’s reputation. If you are being charged with a sex crime, you will need an experienced attorney handling your defense. Enlisting the services of a sex crimes lawyer can greatly improve your chances of preserving your reputation.

Officials of the Stanley-Boyd School District in western Wisconsin were surprised to find out that nearly $150,000 dollars were missing from the district’s payroll bank account this past week after its system was hacked.

The hacker was able to infiltrate the school district’s payroll software and access its direct deposit files, allowing him or her to make off with the vast sum of money.

Anchor Bank, where the district’s payroll account is held, notified the district of the missing funds the day before Thanksgiving and has already managed to recover some of the stolen money. Stanley-Boyd’s employees thankfully were able to receive their paychecks in time for the busy shopping holiday. Its insurance will cover the rest of the lost assets. The bank asserts that no other accounts were affected by the hacking and is working with victims to create new accounts in case their information has been compromised.

It is still unknown who the hacker is, but the Chippewa County Sheriff believes the it may have been someone from outside the country. The case is being investigated by the FBI.

Stealing from a bank is a serious federal offense. Such crimes can have severe penalties including heavy fines and jail time. If you are being accused of bank fraud, you will need someone with experience defending you in court. A criminal defense attorney can help you achieve an acquittal or a reduced sentence.

In Lithonia, Georgia, an alleged shoplifter from Walmart was found dead after finding himself in an argument with two employees. The incident took place around 1:30 a.m. on Sunday morning outside of a Walmart store.

According to a police report, the man accused of shoplifting attempted to leave Walmart with two DVD’s that he did not purchase while inside the store. A security officer and two separate employees followed the man outside of the store, and into the parking lot. When police arrived at the scene, they found the shoplifter underneath the two Walmart employees. The man was said to be unresponsive, and was bleeding out of two orifices on his face.

The man died as a result of the incident, but the official cause of death has yet to be determined. An investigation into the fatal incident has begun, and preliminary evidence shows that the security officer had put the shoplifter in a chokehold at some point during the confrontation. The security guard is no longer employed by Walmart, and both of the employees were suspended from their positions without pay.

If you have been charged with shoplifting, you need experienced representation on your side as you face these charges. Please contact the criminal defense lawyers of Kohler, Hart & Priebe by calling 414-271-9595 today.

A 29 year-old Racine man facing more than four dozen counts of sexual child abuse and assault pleaded not guilty this week in Racine County Circuit Court. The man is accused of filming himself molesting six boys and girls between the ages of five and 12, the Journal Times reports. He has been charged with 49 counts of first-degree sexual assault, possession of child pornography, sexual exploitation of a child, and repeated sexual assault of a child.

The man, who is a student at Gateway Technical College, met his victims when he babysat them. Most of their parents were also students at Gateway Technical College. Authorities believe all instances of assault and abuse occurred at his apartment between March 2009 and October 2012. A search warrant of his place turned up nearly 200 photographs and 23 videos of children being molested.

The Racine County Assistant District Attorney did not offer a plea deal and says the case will go to trial. The defendant is currently in the county jail with a $1 million bond. His next court appearance is scheduled in late December.

If you have wrongly been accused of sexual assault and/or possession of child pornography, an experienced criminal defense attorney is paramount in protecting your rights and reputation. Contact Kohler & Hart to learn more about how we can help you fight these charges.

In 2011, a Neenah, Wisconsin man robbed a taxi cab driver at gunpoint and then bound his hands to the wheel of the cab before fleeing the scene. The cellphone that was used to call the cab was traced back to a residence in Neenah, Wisconsin. When police searched the home, they uncovered a handgun, zip-ties, and a face mask. The cab driver’s Social Security card and driver’s license were also among the items that were confiscated by police.

A 25-year-old man was arrested in connection with the robbery after his belongings were found mixed in with the victim’s belongings. He was charged with kidnapping, armed robbery, and false imprisonment. The man agreed to a plea bargain. He pleaded no contest to the robbery charges, and in return prosecutors dismissed the other charges that he was facing. On Monday, a Winnebago County Judge sentenced the man to 10 years behind bars for his actions.

Three days after the first taxi cab robbery, the man was accused of robbing another taxi cab driver in the area. He was convicted on these charges as well, and his sentencing has been scheduled for January 7, 2013. The Winnebago County Judge also ordered the man to perform eight years of supervision after he was released from prison.

If you have been charged with theft or robbery, it is extremely important to have an experienced criminal defense lawyer on your side. Please contact the criminal defense lawyers of Kohler, Hart & Priebe by calling 414-271-9595 today.