Attorney Christopher T. Van Wagner repeatedly named to Wisconsin Super Lawyers, Madison's Best Criminal Defense Lawyers & continuously "AV-rated" by Martindale (Eminent Attorney) has in just the past ten years won six sexual assault trials and negotiated one down to a disorderly conduct. That is perhaps more sexual assault trials than any Wisconsin attorney has tried to verdict. He has also won numerous high-profile murder cases.
In practice since 1981, criminal defense attorney Christopher
T. Van Wagner brings a wide mix of knowledge, background and unique personal
experience to each case. These include the lessons learned and instincts
developed while growing up one of 11 children born to a middle class Irish
Catholic New Jersey couple; the topnotch education and training he received
attending an Ivy League law school (Cornell Law School 1981, Law Review
Editor) and then clerking for a federal district judge (Honorable Dick
Debevoise, D.N.J., 1981-1982); the boardroom manners observed and absorbed
working for Fortune 500 clients in his years at a world-renowned Chicago-based
corporate law firm (Mayer Brown, on LaSalle Street, Chicago, Illinois);
and, most significantly, the ingrained courtroom sense and solid jury
trial skills he honed while trying more than 50 felony jury trials to
verdict as a state prosecutor (in Trenton, New Jersey), cases ranging
from disorderly conduct to rape and murder.
In 1991, he moved to Wisconsin to become a federal prosecutor
(Madison, Wisconsin). In a short time, he tried several federal conspiracy cases to verdict. Chris left the government in 1994, and now devotes his
professional time, effort and energy exclusively to defending people accused
(or convicted) of serious
crimes and drunk
driving offenses by both Wisconsin and Federal governments. Chris has tried and won some high-profile
trials, including several murder cases.
State: New Jersey State Bar, 1981
State: Illinois State Bar, 1989
Federal: U.S. District Court Northern District of Illinois
Federal: U.S. District Court District of New Jersey
Federal: U.S. Court of Appeals 10th Circuit
Van Wagner & Wood's criminal law defense lawyers frequently appear in Wisconsin Circuit Courts in Madison, Wisconsin for Dane County; Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin for Chippewa County Circuit Court; Menomonie, Wisconsin for Dunn County Circuit Court; Eau Claire, Wisconsin for Eau Claire Circuit Court; Lancaster, Wisconsin for Grant County Circuit Court; Monroe, Wisconsin for Green County Circuit Court; Mauston, Wisconsin for Juneau County Circuit Court; La Crosse, Wisconsin for LaCrosse County Circuit Court; Wausau, Wisconsin for Marathon County Circuit Court; Sparta, Wisconsin for Monroe County Circuit Court; Stevens Point, Wisconsin for Portage County Circuit Court; Janesville, Wisconsin at Rock County Circuit Court; Baraboo, Wisconsin at Sauk County Circuit Court; Wisconsin Dells at Columbia County Circuit Court; Wisconsin Rapids at Wood County Circuit Court; Waukesha, Wisconsin at Waukesha County Circuit Court; Elkhorn, Wisconsin at Walworth County Circuit Court. They also appear at Oneida Circuit Court in Rhinelander, Wisconsin; Langlade Circuit Court at Antigo, Wisconsin.
If your case is in another area of Wisconsin, please contact an attorney at Van Wagner & Wood to discuss it.
Drug Crimes
Van Wagner & Wood's criminal defense attorneys represent
people charged with drug related crimes, in both Federal and state cases. Those
attorneys most frequently represent people charged in the state of Wisconsin.
Federal Drug Charges: Van Wagner & Wood criminal defense
attornes routinely handle drug and other cases charged by a Federal agency.
State Drug Charges: Van Wagner & Wood's criminal defense
attorneys routinely handle drug related criminal cases for people residing in
Wisconsin, and most frequently residing in the following areas: Adams County,
WI (Adams, Wisconsin Dells), Ashland County, WI (Ashland), Barron County, WI
(Barron), Bayfield County, WI (Washburn, Bayfield), Buffalo County, WI (Buffalo
City, Mondovi), Burnett County, WI (Siren), Chippewa County, WI (Chippewa Falls),
Clark County, WI (Abbotsford), Columbia County, WI (Columbus, Wisconsin Dells),
Crawford County, WI (Prairie du Chien), Dane County, WI (Belleville, Black Earth,
Blue Mounds, Brooklyn, Cambridge, Cottage Grove, Cross Plains, Dane, Deerfield,
DeForest, Fitchburg, McFarland, Madison, Maple Bluff, Marshall, Mazomanie, Middleton,
Monona, Mount Horeb, Oregon, Rockdale, Shorewood Hills, Stoughton, Sun Prairie,
Verona, Waunakee, Windsor), Dunn County, WI (Menomonie), Eau Claire County,
WI (Abbotsford, Eau Claire), Grant County, WI (Mount Hope, Lancaster, Fennimore),
Green County, WI (Monroe), Iowa County, WI (Mineral Point, Dodgeville), Jackson
County, WI (Black River Falls), Jefferson County, WI (Jefferson), Juneau County,
WI (Mauston), La Crosse County, WI (LaCrosse, Lafayette, Darlington), Marathon
County, WI (Wausau), Monroe County, WI (Sparta), Pepin County, WI (Durand),
Pierce County, WI (River Falls), Polk County, WI (St Croix Falls), Portage County,
WI (Stevens Point), Price County, WI (Park Falls), Richland County, WI (Richland
Center), Rock County, WI (Janesville), Rusk (Ladysmith), St Croix County, WI
(Hudson), Sauk County, WI (Sauk City, Wisconsin Dells), Taylor County, WI (Medford),
Trempealeau County, WI (Whitehall), Waushara County, WI (Columa, Wautoma), Washburn County, WI (Spooner), and Wood
County, WI (Wisconsin Dells).
Federal Crimes
Van Wagner & Wood's criminal defense attorneys handle Federal
cases throughout the state of Wisconsin and Federal appeals cases throughout
the nation. The attorneys at Van Wagner & Wood have handled Federal cases
for more than twenty years, cases and appeals ranging from Federal conspiracy,
drug charges of possession, intent to deliver, sell, distribute controlled substance,
securities fraud, mail fraud, wire fraud, domestic terrorism, Internet crimes
money laundering, to kidnapping.
The criminal defense attorneys at Van Wagner & Wood represent
people charged with Felony Murder, Homicide, Negligent Homicide, Reckless Homicide,
Vehicular Homicide, Reckless Endangerment, First-degree Intentional Homicide,
and Second-degree Intentional Homicide. Those attorneys most frequently represent
people accused or charged in the state of Wisconsin. Often times, they are called
upon by a client residing outside of the state of Wisconsin, which they represent
in very serious crimes such as Felony Murder or Homicide. Van Wagner & Wood 's attorneys have handled cases for clients in Florida, Kansas, Oklahoma, California, New Jersey, Minnesota, and Illinois.
Drunk Driving (OWI, DUI, DWI)
Van Wagner & Wood's attorneys frequently represent people charged with every type of drunk driving offense in the state of Wisconsin - from OWI - 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th misdemeanor offense to 5th and higher felony offenses. The successful criminal & drunk driving defense firm also represents people against vehicular homicide while intoxicated charges, as well as operating after suspension or revocation. Attorney Tracey A. Wood is highly regarded as Wisconsin's foremost authority on drunk driving laws & defense. Attorney Christopher T. Van Wagner has been three-times honored with the Martin Hanson Advocates Prize for numerous homicide acquittals.
Van Wagner & Wood's attorneys represent people across the state of Wisconsin, and have appeared in nearly every court, the most frequent of which include: Madison, Wisconsin Dells, Baraboo, Monroe, Darlington, Jefferson, Waukesha, Portage, Montello, Friendship, Mauston, Lancaster, Prairie du Chien, Wautoma, Wisconsin Rapids, Stevens Point, Wausau, Black River Falls, Viroqua, La Crosse, Eau Claire and Janesville, Wisconsin.
Appeals & Serious Crimes - Homicide - Murder - State - Federal
Van Wagner & Wood's attorneys represent people on every type of criminal appeal, from post conviction remedies to intermediate courts in Wisconsin - the Wisconsin Court of Appeals - and Wisconsin Supreme Court, as ell as appeals under federal jurisdictions to the United States Court of Appeals. Attorney Tracey Wood frequently represents people appealing drunk driving (or related) convictions to the Wisconsin Court of Appeals.
