Smith, Charles A.

John Hyland brings a combination of inventiveness, persistence and genuine friendliness to his practice. Add his reputation for professionalism and integrity, and it's easy to see how John has earned the respect of prosecutors across the state. Experience has shown that this approach can take a particular case out of the established pattern for cases of its type and achieve a better result. John's practice in criminal defense has included all varieties of criminal conduct and traffic matters, including felonies, misdemeanors and all levels of operating while intoxicated charges.

The first goal in John's practice is to ensure that his client's receive the result they want and expect, with no surprises. John works hard to make sure that his clients know what to expect at each stage of the process. To achieve this goal, John gives each client the time and attention they and their case needs, while always remaining sensitive to the difficulty the client faces when going through the criminal justice system.

The highlights of John's career have been his work on two appellate cases which changed the course of law in Wisconsin, and freed two innocent people from prison sentences. In the case of Anthony Hicks, John and Steve Hurley set precedent for the use of DNA evidence in winning a new trial for the first man in the State to be exonerated after a sexual assault conviction. In the case of Debra Head, John successfully argued before the Wisconsin Supreme Court, winning a unanimous court opinion which rewrote the law of self-defense in the State.

While most of his clients are in Dane County, John has practiced extensively in Columbia, Green, Iowa, Jefferson, Lafayette and Sauk Counties. As with any of the attorneys at Hurley, Burish & Stanton, John has and will travel the State to represent persons accused of criminal activity.

In April 2008, John was elected municipal judge in Waunakee, Wisconsin.

On Hurley, Burish & Stanton
"With such a large number of attorneys in our criminal litigation practice area, we have the luxury of matching the case with the right lawyer for the job. There may be particular experience with a type of case, or a better understanding of how particular prosecutors, judges or courts prefer to proceed with cases."

On understanding
"First, we must understand the client and their needs, then we can take that understanding to interactions with the prosecution. We've never given the other side reason to doubt our word, and that results in better, more predictable outcomes."