Abigail Ruckdashel is listed as the attorney representing Amandria Brunner, the 41-year-old woman from West Allis who has been charged with two counts of homicide by intoxicated use of the vehicle that killed Marquette students Scott Michaud and Noah Snyder in a Sept. 5 car crash.

According to Cleghorn Jones’ website, Ruckdashel’s law firm, she graduated from Marquette University Law School and received a bachelor’s in journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. According to Ruckdashel’s LinkedIn, she graduated from law school in 2024. She specializes in criminal defense work.

Brunner didn’t have an attorney ahead of her Sept. 18 preliminary hearing date, so the hearing was delayed until Oct. 2. Ruckdashel said in a statement to the Marquette Wire that she plans on entering Brunner’s not guilty plea at the Oct. 2 preliminary hearing.

Ruckdashel declined to comment on representing Brunner while having academic ties to Marquette.

Four other students sustained non-life-threatening injuries from the crash, which happened at the intersection of North 27th and West St. Paul Avenue. According to a criminal complaint released Sept. 10, Brunner had a blood alcohol level of 0.133, nearly double the legal limit.

An officer reported in the complaint that Brunner had “bloodshot and glassy” eyes, slurred speech and couldn’t keep her balance. They requested Brunner perform Standardized Field Sobriety Tests and placed her under arrest after she failed. Brunner had one prior OWI charge in 2003. There is a $75,000 cash bail for her pre-trial release.

The complaint said Brunner told police there was alcohol in her vehicle and she’d had two drinks prior to the crash. The officer found an opened can of Miller High Life behind the passenger seat, saying the can “did not appear to be opened by crash forces.”

This story was written by Sophia Tiedge. She can be reached at [email protected].

Jack Albright contributed to this report.