On Point blog, page 4 of 5

Exasperated, District 3 penalizes all parties to appeal

Loren H. Laufman v. North Central Power Co., Inc., 2012AP2116, District 3 (per curiam; not eligible for publication or citation).

Normally, On Point would not trouble its readers with a per curiam decision involving insurance coverage issues.  This one, however, penalizes parties for violations of Wisconsin’s Rules of Appellate Procedure, so appellate lawyers of all stripes should pay attention.  Skipping over the substantive insurance issues,

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Transcript

Samex 1, LLC v. Bruce Buschman, 2011AP2634, District 1, 6/26/12

court of appeals decision (1-judge, ineligible for publication)

¶2 n. 1:

If this appeal were not moot, our resolution of the appeal would have been difficult, if not impossible, because the transcript is not very helpful; there are more than two-dozen instances of “(Indiscernible)” or “(indiscernible)” in but a twenty-one page transcript.  Additionally, one of the sworn witnesses is merely identified as “A FEMALE.”  (Bolding omitted.)  The circuit court is responsible for the court reporter assigned to its court,

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Complaint – Sufficiency; Standard of Review – Transcripts not in Record

State v. Michael L. Gengler, 2010AP1999, District 2, 4/6/11

court of appeals (1-judge, not for publication); pro se; case activity

¶6        The trial court determined that the complaint and the amended complaint were proper, stating,

The complaint was duly sworn on oath.  The complaint was signed and filed by an assistant district attorney as prescribed by WIS. STAT. § 968.02(1).  The complaint alleges multiple violations of WIS.

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State v. Gregory M. Sahs, 2009AP2916-CR, District 1, 10/26/10, review granted 11/14/12

Voluntariness – Statements to Probation Officer

court of appeals decision (3-judge, not recommended for publication), supreme court review granted 11/14/12; for Sahs: Mark S. Rosen; BiC; Resp.

Sahs’ claim that his statements to his probation officer were given under compulsion is rejected, because the premise for the claim – a DOC form cautioning that he must reveal his activities else face probation revocation –

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Jury Instructions; Ineffective Assistance; Record on Appeal; Self-Defense

State v. Morris L. Harris, 2009AP2833-CR,  District 1, 10/13/10

court of appeals decision (3-judge, not recommended for publication); for Harris: Gary Grass; BiC; Resp.; Reply

Lesser-Included Instruction – Battery

Harris not entitled to instruction on simple battery as lesser included of substantial battery; the medical evidence established without contradiction that the victim suffered a fractured rib, therefore no reasonable jury could have acquitted him of the greater offense,

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State v. Brian A. Oetzman, 2009AP2514-CR, District II, 6/9/10

court of appeals decision (1-judge; not for publication); for Oetzman: Kirk B. Obear; BiC; Resp.; Reply

Traffic Stop – U-Turn

¶8     As such, three rules of the road come into play.Under Wis. Stat. § 346.34(1), no person may turn a vehicle at an intersection unless the vehicle is in proper position upon the roadway as required in Wis.

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Briefs – Factual Recitation – Need for Completeness, Accuracy

State v. Ellen T. Straehler, 2008 WI App 14
For Straehler: Daniel P. Fay
Issue/Holding: ¶2 n. 4:

We appreciate the attorney general’s thorough recitation of the facts and draw freely from it. Both the district attorney and the attorney general submitted response briefs and we refer to their position collectively as the State’s. Straehler’s recitation of facts is incomplete, lacks citation to the record and cites to documents outside of the record.

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Briefs – Factual Assertions – Need for Accuracy

Arents v. ANR Pipeline Co., 2005 WI App 61

Issue/Holding: ¶5 n. 2:

Wisconsin Stat. Rule 809.19(1)(d) and (e) (2001-02) requires the parties to provide in their briefs separate sections for their “statement of facts relevant to the issues presented for review” and argument. In their appeal, the Landowners have, inappropriately, interspersed legal argument and “spin” into what should have been an objective recitation of the factual occurrences of this case.

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Reconstruction of Missing Transcript – Counsel-Waiver Proceeding

State v. Joseph P. DeFilippo, 2005 WI App 213
For DeFilippo: Leonard D. Kachinsky

Issue/Holding: To be valid, waiver of right to counsel in criminal trial proceeding must be supported by adequate record, ¶5 (citing State v. Klessig, 211 Wis. 2d 194, 203-04, 564 N.W.2d 716 (1997)). Where, as here, the record fails to make such a showing (because waiver occurred in an unrecorded conference),

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Record on Appeal — Missing Transcript: Appellate Court Assumes that Missing Material Supports Trial Court Ruling

State v. John S. Provo, 2004 WI App 97, PFR filed 5/7/04
For Provo: William H. Gergen
Issue/Holding:

¶19 … Further, Provo has not made the transcript of the plea hearing a part of the record. Consequently, we must assume that the transcript of that hearing supports the trial court’s finding that Provo’s plea was not coerced. See State v. McAttee,

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