The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals recently overturned a conviction when the jury found a 52-year-old Wisconsin man guilty of knowingly possessing an unregistered rifle and silencer. The federal appeals court said the jury let character evidence and prejudicial error interfere with its decision. The man could be considered eccentric because of some strange items in and around his house, the court said, but they could find no actual evidence of criminal intent.

The gun in question had a broken stock and a cut-off barrel. A man testified that the gun broke after he hit a raccoon over the head while hunting.The man in question said he had inherited the gun, and he thought it was a pistol. The man said the silencer was an oil filter he had fashioned into a flash suppressor for his shotgun.

If you have been accused of a gun crime, a criminal defense lawyer may be able to help in your defense. Contact the Milwaukee firearm defense attorneys of Kohler & Hart, LLP, today by calling 888-565-7597.

The trial for accused serial killer Walter E. Ellis was moved to October from early May after a court hearing where Ellis' new defense attorney asked for more time to review the case. Ellis switched attorneys because he said his former attorney was not communicating with him properly and was also not adequately representing him. The Milwaukee County Circuit Judge said his former attorney had done a good job, but she allowed him new representation.

The 49-year-old was charged with killing seven prostitutes over a 21-year period. His new attorney said he might ask that the seven charged homicides be tried separately. The attorney said this is the biggest case he has ever handled, and that it is overwhelming.

If you have been accused of a crime, a criminal defense lawyer may be able to help in your defense. Contact the Milwaukee criminal defense attorneys of Kohler & Hart, LLP, today by calling 888-565-7597.

A 27-year-old Milwaukee man was sentenced Tuesday to more than seven years in prison after his wife beat a 13-month-old child to death and tortured the child's 2-year-old sister, authorities said. He is charged with failing to protect or care for the children during the weeks of abuse, court records say. According to court records, he claims he was unaware of the abuse in the household.

The Milwaukee County Circuit Judge said the 2-year-old had obvious marks on her arms, legs and face that the man could not have ignored. The judge said the man ignored daily opportunities to report the abuse and seek help and protection for the two children. His wife was sentenced to 50 years in prison for the incident.

If you have been accused of a crime, a criminal defense lawyer may be able to help in your defense. Contact the Milwaukee criminal defense attorneys of Kohler & Hart, LLP, today by calling 888-565-7597.

Charges against a 26-year-old former high school girls' soccer coach for sexually assaulting a 16-year-old team member were dismissed Tuesday, court records report. She was charged in February for sexual assault of a student by school staff. The complaint said the two became friends during last year's soccer season, and they became physically involved in January.

The complaint said the coach spent the night at the student's house, and they groped and touched each other outside their clothing. The coach's contract with the school ended after the 2008-2009 season, and she was just a volunteer coach after that because she helped with open gym nights. The case was dismissed because she was no longer a school district employee at the time.

If you have been accused of a crime, a criminal defense lawyer may be able to help in your defense. Contact the Milwaukee criminal defense attorneys of Kohler & Hart, LLP, today by calling 888-565-7597.