Dennis M Melowski

Since graduating from Marquette University Law School in 1993, Dennis Melowski has earned a reputation as one of the top DWI defense lawyers in the State of Wisconsin due to his superb record of success in the field. In his career, Mr. Melowski has had more than 350 drunk driving cases amended or dismissed, including more than 80 complete acquittals in jury trials. This concrete record of success is what separates Mr. Melowski from his peers.

Mr. Melowski has also handled several landmark DWI cases, including three argued before the Wisconsin Supreme Court. His argument in one of those cases convinced the court to completely change the law with respect to repeat drunk driving offenders.

Mr. Melowski's excellence in the field of DWI defense has earned him substantial recognition in the legal community. As a result of a statewide survey of Wisconsin attorneys, Mr. Melowski was named a Wisconsin SuperLawyer by Law & Politics and Milwaukee Magazine in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011, making him the only seven-time recipient of this honor in the practice area of DWI defense. Mr. Melowski was also featured in the November 21st, 2011 issue of Newsweek magazine as one of the country's leading criminal defense attorneys, one of only 8 from across the U.S. selected for the Newsweek showcase. Mr. Melowski was touted as one of the nation's top DUI defense attorneys.

Mr. Melowski's success has made him a fixture as a speaker at legal seminars in Wisconsin and elsewhere in the country, helping to educate other lawyers in the field of DWI defense. He is a frequent source of advice and strategy to lawyers around the state. Mr. Melowski's expertise has also been requested by the State Bar of Wisconsin in authoring changes and updates to the State Bar Traffic Law and Practice manual, considered the definitive treatise on traffic law in the State of Wisconsin.

In addition to his DWI defense practice, Mr. Melowski has, on occasion, taken on a select number of criminal cases with a high degree of success. Several of these cases have attracted substantial media attention, including winning the only acquittal of three defendants charged in connection with the murder of a Manitowoc police officer, and another complete acquittal of a client facing more than 40 years in prison for attempted homicide and a variety of other charges.

When not practicing law, Mr. Melowski enjoys spending time with his wife Maggie and their two children, Molly and Luke. An accomplished endurance athlete, Mr. Melowski is a four-time USA Triathlon All-American. He has also qualified for and competed in the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii on a number of occasions.

Successful Casework:

• Persuaded a jury to find client not guilty of all counts stemming from a stabbing; client had been facing more than 40 years in prison.
• Successfully defended a client with a .159 blood test result; jury found client not guilty of all charges.
• Successfully defended a client with a .158 blood test result; jury found client not guilty of all charges.
• Convinced a judge to dismiss all charges in a fourth-offense OWI case based on arresting officer not having probable cause to make arrest.
• Convinced a Milwaukee County Assistant District Attorney to amend a second offense OWI to Reckless Driving after trial resulted in a hung jury.
• Convinced a prosecutor to dismiss all charges in an alleged stalking case after defense investigation demonstrated the allegations had no merit.
• Successfully defended a client with a .11 breath test result in a first-offense OWI case; jury found client not guilty of all charges.
• Convinced a judge to dismiss all charges in a first-offense OWI case based on argument that the arresting officer had no reasonable basis to stop the client.
• Convinced a prosecutor to amend a third-offense OWI to a non-traffic violation.
• Convinced a prosecutor to amend a third-offense OWI to Reckless Driving.
• Convinced a judge to suppress a .265 blood test result because police did not adequately advise client under Wisconsin's Implied Consent Law.
• Obtained two amendments of OWI charges to Reckless Driving for a truck driver, thereby saving his career.