At Pinix Law, LLC, we pride ourselves on the work that we do for our clients. Hard work often gets people's attention. Below is a sampling of the media coverage that our lawyers have received in the past, including some quotes.
2022
Bruce Vielmetti, What's next for Darrell Brooks now that he has been found guilty on all counts in the Waukesha Christmas Parade attack?, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Oct. 28, 2022)
. . . Once Brooks is sentenced, he'll have 20 days to file notice of appeal. That could take years to complete, according to a couple of veteran appellate lawyers, and has long odds, at best, to save Brooks from life in prison. . . .
Matthew Pinix said Dorow's decisions to repeatedly move Brooks to a separate courtroom, where he could participate by audio and video equipment, and to sometimes mute his microphone there, might be fertile ground for appellate review.
"I don't know who'd be chomping at the bit for this case, but if you got it, some of the nuance and novelty would be interesting," he said. Though many courts expanded use of virtual participation during the coronavirus pandemic, having a full trial that way — if Brooks' intermittent presence is seen as such — would take a significant court decision. If one resulted from Brooks' case, he said, it could help guide judges facing a similarly challenging trial in the future.
. . . Once Brooks is sentenced, he'll have 20 days to file notice of appeal. That could take years to complete, according to a couple of veteran appellate lawyers, and has long odds, at best, to save Brooks from life in prison. . . .
Matthew Pinix said Dorow's decisions to repeatedly move Brooks to a separate courtroom, where he could participate by audio and video equipment, and to sometimes mute his microphone there, might be fertile ground for appellate review.
"I don't know who'd be chomping at the bit for this case, but if you got it, some of the nuance and novelty would be interesting," he said. Though many courts expanded use of virtual participation during the coronavirus pandemic, having a full trial that way — if Brooks' intermittent presence is seen as such — would take a significant court decision. If one resulted from Brooks' case, he said, it could help guide judges facing a similarly challenging trial in the future.
Hope Karnopp, Two couples sue former UW child abuse doctor for alleged misdiagnoses, Wisconsin Watch (Aug. 27, 2022)
. . . Matthew Pinix, . . . asked a judge in a postconviction motion to order the disclosure of more records from Knox’s time at UW, including personnel files, disciplinary records and investigation files.
Pinix argued in a Dane County Circuit Court motion hearing that if there was information in the files that would support the idea that Knox had “a character to push persons to accept (her allegations of) assault,” prosecutors should have found it and turned it over.
. . . Matthew Pinix, . . . asked a judge in a postconviction motion to order the disclosure of more records from Knox’s time at UW, including personnel files, disciplinary records and investigation files.
Pinix argued in a Dane County Circuit Court motion hearing that if there was information in the files that would support the idea that Knox had “a character to push persons to accept (her allegations of) assault,” prosecutors should have found it and turned it over.
2020
Fox6Now.com, Shorewood woman charged with disorderly conduct, hate crime after spitting at protester (June 12, 2020)
. . . At a news conference Friday afternoon, Lucas and his attorney addressed the charges filed against Rapkin."I also want to show the message that I am not just color and that my skin is not a weapon. I don't think black lives should just matter, they should also be equal," Lucas said.
"It seems unfair that a white woman can spit in a black man's face because he is black. The only thing the DA's office charged them with is a disorderly conduct which is a crime you can get for shouting too loud in a public place," Lucas' attorney Matthew Pinix said.
. . . At a news conference Friday afternoon, Lucas and his attorney addressed the charges filed against Rapkin."I also want to show the message that I am not just color and that my skin is not a weapon. I don't think black lives should just matter, they should also be equal," Lucas said.
"It seems unfair that a white woman can spit in a black man's face because he is black. The only thing the DA's office charged them with is a disorderly conduct which is a crime you can get for shouting too loud in a public place," Lucas' attorney Matthew Pinix said.
Bruce Vielmetti, Inmates seeking sentence modifications over COVID-19 risk in prisons, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (May 14, 2020)
Since Gov. Tony Evers and the Department of Corrections have taken only limited steps to reduce prison populations, lawyers are trying new tactics to get less dangerous, most-at-risk inmates released one at a time.
They are asking judges to modify sentences on the grounds that the COVID-19 threat presents a new factor that was unknowable at the time of sentencing. . . ."The truth-in-sentencing system in Wisconsin doesn’t really allow the executive branch (the DOC) much authority to release inmates from prison early without court intervention," Matthew Pinix said. " So, these inmates are stuck in an incredibly dangerous situation unless the courts will help them out."
Since Gov. Tony Evers and the Department of Corrections have taken only limited steps to reduce prison populations, lawyers are trying new tactics to get less dangerous, most-at-risk inmates released one at a time.
They are asking judges to modify sentences on the grounds that the COVID-19 threat presents a new factor that was unknowable at the time of sentencing. . . ."The truth-in-sentencing system in Wisconsin doesn’t really allow the executive branch (the DOC) much authority to release inmates from prison early without court intervention," Matthew Pinix said. " So, these inmates are stuck in an incredibly dangerous situation unless the courts will help them out."
Gretchen Schuldt, Court Overturns 2010 Homicide Conviction, Urban Milwaukee (April 28, 2020)
Two Milwaukee police detectives so badly violated the Miranda rights of a 16-year-old homicide suspect in 2008 that a federal judge last week granted a writ of habeas corpus and ordered that the man, now 28, be retried or released from prison within three months. By granting the writ requested by Ladarius Marshall, U.S. District Judge Williams C. Griesbach found that state court decisions in the case were "contrary to, or involved an aunreasonable application of, clearly established Federal law." Marshall was represented in his federal case by Shorewood attorney Matthew S. Pinix...
Two Milwaukee police detectives so badly violated the Miranda rights of a 16-year-old homicide suspect in 2008 that a federal judge last week granted a writ of habeas corpus and ordered that the man, now 28, be retried or released from prison within three months. By granting the writ requested by Ladarius Marshall, U.S. District Judge Williams C. Griesbach found that state court decisions in the case were "contrary to, or involved an aunreasonable application of, clearly established Federal law." Marshall was represented in his federal case by Shorewood attorney Matthew S. Pinix...
2019
Bruce Vielmetti, Appeals court sides with a Milwaukee Irish dance troupe in dispute with Chicago group, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Aug. 23, 2019)
A Milwaukee nonprofit Irish dance company, not its more successful Chicago-based spinoff group, deserves a $1 million bequest from a fan of the art form, the Court of Appeals has decided. . . . Matthew Pinix, an attorney for the American Company of Irish Dance, said it was delighted with the appeals court decision. "The Company is eager to put this lawsuit behind it so that it can focus without distraction on the dance that Bill Borchert Larson loved. The Company will continue to honor Bill's legacy as he intended when he made his gracious gift to it." . . .
CBS 58, Attorney for Morgan Geyser says teen should not have been tried as adult in Slender Man case (Jan. 4, 2019) (includes video interview)
Geyser's attorney claims she should not have been tried as an adult because the state proved she did not act out of self-defense when she stabbed a classmate back in 2014. He also claims Morgan's interviews with police should be invalid because she was not in the right state of mind during the interview. "You can't use a statement that people give to police if they don't understand that they have the right to remain silent or the right to ask for an attorney...and you can't just tell them those things, that's not enough," said Matthew Pinix, Geyser's attorney.
Joe Kelly, Teen Appeals Sentence in Slenderman Stabbing, Courthouse News Service (Jan. 4, 2019)
A Wisconsin teenager convicted of the attempted murder of her classmate at the behest of fictional boogeyman Slenderman has appealed her sentence of 40 years in a mental institution, arguing her mental condition led to unfair proceedings. In the 46-page brief filed Thursday in the Wisconsin Court of Appeals, Morgan Geyser’s attorney Matthew Pinix, a partner at Milwaukee-based law firm Pinix & Soukup, asserts that the Waukesha County Circuit Court never should have tried her in adult court given Geyser’s mental illness. . . . Geyser’s attorney, Pinix, said via email that the “criminal justice system did not work as it should have in Ms. Geyser’s case.” “Our system is supposed to safeguard the rights of defendants in the pursuit of justice, but those safeguards failed in Ms. Geyser’s case,” he said.
A Milwaukee nonprofit Irish dance company, not its more successful Chicago-based spinoff group, deserves a $1 million bequest from a fan of the art form, the Court of Appeals has decided. . . . Matthew Pinix, an attorney for the American Company of Irish Dance, said it was delighted with the appeals court decision. "The Company is eager to put this lawsuit behind it so that it can focus without distraction on the dance that Bill Borchert Larson loved. The Company will continue to honor Bill's legacy as he intended when he made his gracious gift to it." . . .
CBS 58, Attorney for Morgan Geyser says teen should not have been tried as adult in Slender Man case (Jan. 4, 2019) (includes video interview)
Geyser's attorney claims she should not have been tried as an adult because the state proved she did not act out of self-defense when she stabbed a classmate back in 2014. He also claims Morgan's interviews with police should be invalid because she was not in the right state of mind during the interview. "You can't use a statement that people give to police if they don't understand that they have the right to remain silent or the right to ask for an attorney...and you can't just tell them those things, that's not enough," said Matthew Pinix, Geyser's attorney.
Joe Kelly, Teen Appeals Sentence in Slenderman Stabbing, Courthouse News Service (Jan. 4, 2019)
A Wisconsin teenager convicted of the attempted murder of her classmate at the behest of fictional boogeyman Slenderman has appealed her sentence of 40 years in a mental institution, arguing her mental condition led to unfair proceedings. In the 46-page brief filed Thursday in the Wisconsin Court of Appeals, Morgan Geyser’s attorney Matthew Pinix, a partner at Milwaukee-based law firm Pinix & Soukup, asserts that the Waukesha County Circuit Court never should have tried her in adult court given Geyser’s mental illness. . . . Geyser’s attorney, Pinix, said via email that the “criminal justice system did not work as it should have in Ms. Geyser’s case.” “Our system is supposed to safeguard the rights of defendants in the pursuit of justice, but those safeguards failed in Ms. Geyser’s case,” he said.
2018
Karen Pilarski, Family representatives praise Tosa police for transparency, but say video of cop punching teen 'speaks for itself', Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (May 24, 2018)
. . . [T]he teen's attorney, Matthew Pinix of Pinix and Soukup, said in a statement "I am happy to have seen all the information disclosed by the police department and am hopeful that such transparency continues into the future.
"The public obviously has a right to know about the conduct of the people that it employs, including any prior or future incidents in which any police officer uses such force as was used against my client. In his case, the use of force went viral thanks to amateur video recording; but that will not be every case. Only through such transparency can there be accountability," he said. . . .
On Point - Wis. State Public Defender, Federal district court grants habeas; vacates SCOW Padilla decision (Dec. 16, 2018)
. . . Unlike our supreme court, the federal court now says that this wasn’t good enough–and further, that the supreme court’s conclusion that it was good enough was an unreasonable application of the law that SCOTUS clearly established in Padilla v. Kentucky, 559 U.S. 356 (2010).
. . . [T]he teen's attorney, Matthew Pinix of Pinix and Soukup, said in a statement "I am happy to have seen all the information disclosed by the police department and am hopeful that such transparency continues into the future.
"The public obviously has a right to know about the conduct of the people that it employs, including any prior or future incidents in which any police officer uses such force as was used against my client. In his case, the use of force went viral thanks to amateur video recording; but that will not be every case. Only through such transparency can there be accountability," he said. . . .
On Point - Wis. State Public Defender, Federal district court grants habeas; vacates SCOW Padilla decision (Dec. 16, 2018)
. . . Unlike our supreme court, the federal court now says that this wasn’t good enough–and further, that the supreme court’s conclusion that it was good enough was an unreasonable application of the law that SCOTUS clearly established in Padilla v. Kentucky, 559 U.S. 356 (2010).
2017
On Point - Wis. State Public Defender, Tumblr qualifies as an “identified citizen informant,” and sec. 939.617(2) is not void for vagueness (Aug. 13, 2017)
On Point - Wis. State Public Defender, SCOW upholds consent search after traffic stop; dissent criticizes “trajectory” of 4th Amendment decisions (July 9, 2017)
On Point - Wis. State Public Defender, SCOW upholds consent search after traffic stop; dissent criticizes “trajectory” of 4th Amendment decisions (July 9, 2017)
2016
On Point - Wis. State Public Defender, Failure to object precludes Daubert analysis; expert on cell phone tracking per se admissible (June 7, 2016)
This decision feels like an encounter with a swarm of mosquitoes on a pleasant summer evening. But because it is recommended for publication, you can’t just swat it away. Indeed, the court of appeals’ analysis of the issues will leave you reaching for a bottle of the calamine lotion.
On Point - Wis. State Public Defender, Traffic stop was not unlawfully extended, and defendant consented to search conducted during stop (July 7, 2016)
This decision feels like an encounter with a swarm of mosquitoes on a pleasant summer evening. But because it is recommended for publication, you can’t just swat it away. Indeed, the court of appeals’ analysis of the issues will leave you reaching for a bottle of the calamine lotion.
On Point - Wis. State Public Defender, Traffic stop was not unlawfully extended, and defendant consented to search conducted during stop (July 7, 2016)
2015
Joe Forward, Appeals Court Says Probation Improperly Revoked Under Fifth Amendment, State Bar of Wisconsin (Oct. 12, 2015)
In Douglas v. Hayes, 2014AP2977 (Oct. 7, 2015), a three-judge panel for the District II Wisconsin Court of Appeals ruled that Douglas was protected by the Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination when his probation agent questioned him.
Supreme Court: No new trial for man in parents' death, NBC15 (July 7, 2015)
The state Supreme Court says a Milwaukee man accused of killing his parents doesn't deserve a new trial to determine if he was mentally responsible for his actions. . . . Kucharski's attorney, Matthew Pinix, says he's disappointed for Kucharski and the court's decision curtails appellate courts' powers.
Kevin Murphy, New trial ordered in Winneconne heroin overdose case, Oshkosh Northwestern (March 3, 2015)
An appeals court Tuesday gave an Oshkosh man a second chance to prove he did not provide the heroin that caused a Winneconne man's fatal overdose in 2011. . . . VanDyke's appeals attorney, Matthew Pinix, of Milwaukee, said he was "very pleased with the decision…and Mr. VanDyke should be very excited."
Joe Forward, Sentencing Court Did Not Rely on Improper Factors, No Resentencing for Defendant, State Bar of Wisconsin (Jan. 27, 2015)
In State v. Alexander, 2015 WI 6 (Jan. 27, 2015), the Wisconsin Supreme Court concluded that resentencing was not warranted because Alexander did not prove by clear and convincing evidence that the sentencing judge relied on improper factors.
In Douglas v. Hayes, 2014AP2977 (Oct. 7, 2015), a three-judge panel for the District II Wisconsin Court of Appeals ruled that Douglas was protected by the Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination when his probation agent questioned him.
Supreme Court: No new trial for man in parents' death, NBC15 (July 7, 2015)
The state Supreme Court says a Milwaukee man accused of killing his parents doesn't deserve a new trial to determine if he was mentally responsible for his actions. . . . Kucharski's attorney, Matthew Pinix, says he's disappointed for Kucharski and the court's decision curtails appellate courts' powers.
Kevin Murphy, New trial ordered in Winneconne heroin overdose case, Oshkosh Northwestern (March 3, 2015)
An appeals court Tuesday gave an Oshkosh man a second chance to prove he did not provide the heroin that caused a Winneconne man's fatal overdose in 2011. . . . VanDyke's appeals attorney, Matthew Pinix, of Milwaukee, said he was "very pleased with the decision…and Mr. VanDyke should be very excited."
Joe Forward, Sentencing Court Did Not Rely on Improper Factors, No Resentencing for Defendant, State Bar of Wisconsin (Jan. 27, 2015)
In State v. Alexander, 2015 WI 6 (Jan. 27, 2015), the Wisconsin Supreme Court concluded that resentencing was not warranted because Alexander did not prove by clear and convincing evidence that the sentencing judge relied on improper factors.
2014
Todd Richmond, Court reverse interlocking homicide convictions, Washington Times (April 4, 2014)
A state appeals court on Wednesday ordered new trials for two men convicted in a Kenosha homicide, ruling they never should have been tried together. . . . Navigato’s appellate attorney, Matthew Pinix, said he was happy with the appellate findings and said he was surprised prosecutors didn’t realize the trials had to be separate. “It’s like a reboot,” he said. “I find that kind of remarkable that the state’s attorneys were unaware of that rule or chose to act in contradiction to it.”
Bruce Vielmetti, Woman convicted of 'fetal abduction' seeks new trial because lawyers left her case, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (March 10, 2014)
Milwaukee's rare and shocking case of “fetal abduction” that made news over and over as it twisted through court has taken another odd turn more than a year after the perpetrator was sentenced to life in prison. . . . In a motion for a new trial, Morales-Rodriguez’s new lawyer, Matthew Pinix, argues that none of the team’s stated reasons for leaving their client was legally valid. Their failure to know relevant law amounts to ineffective assistance, Pinix argues.
A state appeals court on Wednesday ordered new trials for two men convicted in a Kenosha homicide, ruling they never should have been tried together. . . . Navigato’s appellate attorney, Matthew Pinix, said he was happy with the appellate findings and said he was surprised prosecutors didn’t realize the trials had to be separate. “It’s like a reboot,” he said. “I find that kind of remarkable that the state’s attorneys were unaware of that rule or chose to act in contradiction to it.”
Bruce Vielmetti, Woman convicted of 'fetal abduction' seeks new trial because lawyers left her case, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (March 10, 2014)
Milwaukee's rare and shocking case of “fetal abduction” that made news over and over as it twisted through court has taken another odd turn more than a year after the perpetrator was sentenced to life in prison. . . . In a motion for a new trial, Morales-Rodriguez’s new lawyer, Matthew Pinix, argues that none of the team’s stated reasons for leaving their client was legally valid. Their failure to know relevant law amounts to ineffective assistance, Pinix argues.
2013
Kevin Wang, Wis. court: Police use of GPS in burglary case OK, Washington Examiner (Feb. 6, 2013)
Police did not violate a Wisconsin man's constitutional protections against unreasonable search and seizure when they impounded his car and secretly installed a GPS device on it, the state Supreme Court ruled Wednesday. . . . Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson questioned the motivation for the seizure in a dissent. Brereton's attorney, Matthew Pinix, said in an email that he and his client were disappointed by the high court's decision and would consider an appeal to the United States Supreme Court.
Police did not violate a Wisconsin man's constitutional protections against unreasonable search and seizure when they impounded his car and secretly installed a GPS device on it, the state Supreme Court ruled Wednesday. . . . Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson questioned the motivation for the seizure in a dissent. Brereton's attorney, Matthew Pinix, said in an email that he and his client were disappointed by the high court's decision and would consider an appeal to the United States Supreme Court.
2012
Wis. Public Radio, US Supreme Court ruling on GPS could effect pending Wisconsin case (Jan. 25, 2012) (recorded interview)
Joe Forward, Legislative Repeal of Early Release Provisions Not Grounds for Sentence Modification, State Bar of Wisconsin (June 19, 2012)
A prison inmate potentially impacted by Wisconsin’s recent repeal of early release provisions won’t get a sentence modification, according to a state appeals court.
Joe Forward, Breath Test by Police at Probation Office not an Unlawful Police Search, State Bar of Wisconsin (Oct. 25, 2012)
In State v. Devries, 2010AP429-CR (Oct. 24, 2012), the District II Wisconsin Court of Appeals rejected Devries’s argument that the preliminary breath test amounted to an unlawful “police search” because police lacked reasonable suspicion to perform it.
Joe Forward, Legislative Repeal of Early Release Provisions Not Grounds for Sentence Modification, State Bar of Wisconsin (June 19, 2012)
A prison inmate potentially impacted by Wisconsin’s recent repeal of early release provisions won’t get a sentence modification, according to a state appeals court.
Joe Forward, Breath Test by Police at Probation Office not an Unlawful Police Search, State Bar of Wisconsin (Oct. 25, 2012)
In State v. Devries, 2010AP429-CR (Oct. 24, 2012), the District II Wisconsin Court of Appeals rejected Devries’s argument that the preliminary breath test amounted to an unlawful “police search” because police lacked reasonable suspicion to perform it.