We are a focused group of criminal and traffic defense attorneys, located downtown Racine across from the courthouse and jail. Partners Mark Richards and Brian Dimmer love the practice of criminal defense, so it’s the only thing they do. We have compassion for our clients, their families, their struggles in life, and their need for the best criminal defense representation. We believe in litigation. We believe in preparation. We believe that our clients deserve to understand each stage in a criminal proceeding. For many of our clients, this may be their first interaction with the criminal justice system. If you have any attorney who never returns your calls, will not meet with you except at the courthouse, and seems disinterested in your case, then you probably have the wrong criminal defense attorney. You need to give Richards & Dimmer, S.C. a call and have a free consultation—immediately.
Our clients’ positive reviews bolster our professional and trade credentials in criminal defense. Here is what you should know
The short answer is experience and results.
Attorney Richards has 30 years’ of experience practicing criminal defense in both Wisconsin State and Federal courts. Attorney Dimmer has nearly 10 years’ experience practicing criminal defense in Wisconsin state courts. Our experience ranges from trial court representation to state and federal appeal litigation. We have litigated cases all the way up to the United States Supreme Court. Our caseloads have ranged from homicide, sexual assault, and drug trafficking offenses down to traffic and OWI/DUI representation. We regularly handle all the criminal defense cases in between.
Perhaps more important to our clients than experience, however, is the great results we obtain for our clients. Great results do not come easy, not matter what someone else might tell you. At Richards & Dimmer, S.C. we believe our years of success come from a combination of preparation, skill, and opportunity. Here are the big five reasons why we are the best choice for criminal defense attorney in the Racine, Kenosha, Milwaukee, and surrounding southeast Wisconsin communities.
Let’s face it, most cases resolve short of a jury trial like you might see in the movies or on television. But that does NOT mean that you will get the same resolution with one attorney at your side as compared to a team that combines negotiation with litigation.
Litigation requires turning over stones—obtaining police reports, interviewing witnesses, requesting records, reviewing videos and recordings. Litigation requires knowing our clients’ cases from the top to the bottom. We carefully manage our caseload so we have enough time to know each client, each case.
Litigation also requires filing motions, often before trial, to challenge evidence. Many cases, particularly cases where law enforcement conducts an investigation, turn on whether law enforcement officers have complied with Wisconsin and Federal constitutional, statutory, and case law. If investigators make a mistake, that could affect whether the evidence they obtain comes in to court. Strong motion practice is the number one tool to litigating cases and properly defending clients against criminal and traffic charges.
Litigation sometimes means jury or court trials. If the prosecution will not resolve a case to our clients’ satisfaction, then we can request a trial to defend against the charges before a jury or the court. Attorneys Richards and Dimmer have jury trials every year. More importantly, we win jury trials. We pride ourselves on our knowledge of the case, or ability to aggressively cross-examine law enforcement officers and witnesses, and our charisma before the jury or trier of fact. We believe in our clients. It shows in our words and actions in court.
Perhaps our best asset is our location. At 209 8th Street, we are directly across the street from the Racine County Courthouse as well as the Racine County Jail. Our clients meet us at our office before court—no trying to find the courtroom or your attorney. We avoid meeting with clients in the openness of the courthouse—your privacy matters to us. Additionally, we can visit clients in the jail on short or no notice. We can file motions and get court hearings by visiting the clerks and filing motions the same day. We can also meet with prosecutors at their office, follow-up with judges, and be back and forth from court in the blink of an eye. Through our regular contact with judges, prosecutors, and officers, we build professional working relationships. Yes, good, ol’ fashioned litigation is our forte, but sometimes all we need is a small favor—an expedited stipulation letting our client out of custody to see the birth of his child, or a grandparent’s funeral. Those relationships matter both in the courtroom and out. Altogether, our court-side offices give us more time to work on our clients’ cases—not traveling.
While we might take an occasional civil or family case for a longtime client, our caseload is 99% criminal and traffic defense cases. We do that for a good reason. There’s no room for “Jacks-of-all-trades” in this business. Wisconsin and federal law changes almost daily. No good attorney can keep up with it all. By practicing predominately in criminal and traffic defense, we ensure that we know the law, and what the law might be tomorrow. We also focus in criminal and traffic defense because it concentrates our court appearances during criminal court times. That gives us enough time to meet with clients, review discovery, and prepare for litigation—when other “Jacks-of-all-trades” might be running over to family or civil court. When you hire us, you hire a criminal defense attorney.
A wise person once said that you are only as good as your team. At our firm, we have an experienced and skilled team providing the representation you deserve. Beth, our office manager, has decades of experience assisting us in preparing clients for court, communicating with the courts, and making sure that the attorneys are ready to go for each court hearing. Our newest associate attorney, Natalie Wisco, is available to help answer questions, assist the attorneys with complex litigation, and has her own growing caseload. We also regularly have law school and college students learning about the practice of law while helping us maintain and organized law firm. Together, we provide exceptional service to our clients!
Here’s a fact to brag about—we have won at the Wisconsin Supreme Court more than once. We have appealed cases to every level of the Wisconsin State and Federal system—the Wisconsin Court of Appeals, the Wisconsin Supreme Court, the Wisconsin Federal District Court, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, and even the United States Supreme Court. Through that appeal litigation, we have learned what to, and what not to, do to successfully litigate cases at the trial level. We also become intimately familiar with the case law the drives pretrial litigation. When you know the constitutional and statutory rules, then you can better review your clients’ cases for possible challenges. Lastly, when you handle appeals, you become a better writer. Yeah, everyone loves a lawyer who sounds good in court. But you need an attorney who sounds good in writing. If you don’t hire a criminal defense attorney with appeal experience, then you are not hiring the best kind of criminal defense attorney.
“There was no judgment on the mistakes I have made, only solutions.”
Defense Lawyer since 1987
Defense Lawyer since 2009
Associate Attorney since 2017
We offer free consultations to potential clients who contact our office. Whether by phone, by email, or in person, we are happy to speak with persons who believe that might be in need of an attorney, especially a criminal defense attorney.
209 8th Street
Racine, WI 53403
