On Point blog, page 57 of 60
SVP – Postdisposition – Burden of persuasion, petition for discharge probable cause hearing
State v. Glenn Allen Thayer, 2001 WI App 51, 241 Wis. 2d 417, 626 N.W.2d 811
For Thayer: Jane K. Smith
Issue: Whether the trial court improperly assigned the burden of persuasion to the inmate at the § 980.09(2)(a) probable cause hearing.
Holding: The burden of persuasion is assigned to neither party at a § 908.09(2)(a) hearing, the purpose of which is simply to conduct a paper review to determine whether a full evidentiary hearing is necessary.
SVP – Postdisposition – Discharge Procedure – Right to full evidentiary hearing after “paper review”
State v. Glenn Allen Thayer, 2001 WI App 51, 241 Wis. 2d 417, 626 N.W.2d 811
For Thayer: Jane K. Smith
Issue: Whether the patient was entitled to a full evidentiary hearing on release following the reexamination probable cause “paper review.”
Holding:
¶26 A full evidentiary hearing was unwarranted. The only evidence before the trial court indicated that the grounds for Thayer’s original WIS.
SVP – Postdisposition – Discharge Procedure – Right to counsel, timing of appointment
State v. Glenn Allen Thayer, 2001 WI App 51, 241 Wis. 2d 417, 626 N.W.2d 811
For Thayer: Jane K. Smith
Issue: Whether the lateness of counsel’s appointment, six days before the paper review probable cause hearing, violated due process.
Holding: Construing Thayer’s argument to raise a contention that due to lateness of the appointment, counsel “had insufficient time to prepare for the probable cause hearing,”
SVP – Substantive Due Process – Automatic SVP commitment to secure confinement
State v. Ronald Ransdell, 2001 WI App 202, PFR filed 8/27/01
For Ransdell: Ellen Henak, SPD, Milwaukee Appellate
Issue: Whether the automatic initial commitment to institutional care provision, § 980.06, on its face violates substantive due process.
Holding: A person challenging the constitutionality of a statute must show its infirmity beyond reasonable doubt; a statute restricting liberty implicates a “strict-scrutiny” test. ¶5. Applying this test, § 980.06 does not violate due process: requiring that a commitment subject first undergo evaluation and treatment in an institutional setting before a decision is made as to supervised release is a reasonable legislative policy determination;
SVP – Postdisposition: Supervised Release – Reconsideration – Newly Discovered Evidence – Assessment of Pre-Existing Information
State v. Daniel Williams, 2001 WI App 155
For Williams: Adrienne M. Moore, SPD, Racine Trial
Issue: Whether the grant of a petition for supervised release (§ 980.08) can be vacated on the basis of a periodic re-examination report (§ 980.07) which is a mere assessment of the same information utilized during the supervised release proceeding.
Holding: A motion for relief from judgment, § 980.07, may be based on newly discovered evidence,
SVP – Trial: Witnesses – Expert – Qualifications
State v. Larry J. Sprosty, 2001 WI App 231, PFR filed
For Sprosty: Jack E. Schairer, SPD, Madison Appellate
Issue: Whether the trial court erred in refusing to qualify a social worker as an expert in this Ch. 980 supervised release proceeding.
Holding: Because the witness had “expertise with respect to treating sex offenders … she was qualified to give her opinion on the ultimate issue.” ¶29.
SVP Commitments: Counsel – Effective Assistance, Appeal
State ex rel. Ruven Seibert v. Macht, 2001 WI 67, 244 Wis. 2d 378, 627 N.W.2d 881, reconsideration denied2002 WI 12, reversing unpublished court of appeals order
For Seibert: Gregory P. Seibold; amicus brief: Howard B. Eisenberg, Dean, Marquette Law School
Issue/Holding:
¶1. This case presents two issues. The first issue is whether an indigent sexually violent person, as defined by Wis.
SVP – Trial: Expert Witnesses – Psychologist: Licensure
State v. Larry J. Sprosty, 2001 WI App 231, PFR filed
For Sprosty: Jack E. Schairer, SPD, Madison Appellate
Issue: Whether a psychologist must be licensed in Wisconsin to provide expert opinion in a Ch. 980 proceeding.
Holding: No: “the standard for determining the admissibility of expert testimony in this case is the general one, namely, whether it will be helpful to the trier of fact, so long as the expert is qualified by knowledge,
SVP – Postdisposition: Supervised Release – Revocation – Uncharged Rule Violation – Right to Notice
State v. Keith Alan VanBronkhorst, 2001 WI App 190
For VanBronkhorst: Jack E. Schairer, SPD, Madison Appellate
Issue: Whether revocation of supervised release from a ch. 980 commitment was properly based on an uncharged rule violation.
Holding:
¶9 … “(P)rocedural due process protections afforded in probation or parole revocation proceedings apply to supervised release revocation proceedings under ch. 980. “…¶15. Notice to comply with due process requirements must be given sufficiently in advance of scheduled court proceedings so that a defendant will have a reasonable opportunity to prepare.
SVP – Postdisposition – Right to independent expert
State v. Glenn Allen Thayer, 2001 WI App 51, 241 Wis. 2d 417, 626 N.W.2d 811
For Thayer: Jane K. Smith
Issue: Whether the commitment subject has a right to present an independent medical report at a petition for discharge probable cause hearing, § 980.09(2)(a).
Holding: Although a Ch. 980 patient does have the right submit an independent medical report to the court, ¶¶6-13, Wis Stat..