On Point blog, page 69 of 70
Right to Counsel – Revocation
State ex rel. James A. Mentek, Jr., v. Schwarz, 2000 WI App 96, 235 Wis. 2d 143, 612 N.W.2d 746, reversed on other grounds, State ex rel. James A. Mentek, Jr. v. Schwarz, 2001 WI 32
Issue: Whether appointed counsel’s failure to exhaust administrative appeals, which resulted in waiver of the right of judicial review of a revocation, can be challenged as ineffective assistance of counsel.
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 Ruven Seibert v. Macht, 2001 WI 67, 244 Wis. 2d 378, 627 N.W.2d 881, reconsideration denied2002 WI 12, reversing unpublished court of appeals order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.
Counsel – Ineffective Assistance – Deficient Performance – Failure to Investigate, Information within Defendant’s Knowledge, but not Imparted to Counsel
State v. William Nielsen, 2001 WI App 192, PFR filed
For Nielsen: Waring R. Fincke
Issue/Holding: “This court will not find counsel deficient for failing to discover information that was available to the defendant but that defendant failed to share with counsel.” ¶24.
Right to Counsel – Inherent Judicial Authority to Appoint – Indigency Determination – Use of Federal Poverty Guidelines
State v. Jose Nieves-Gonzalez, 2001 WI App 90, 242 Wis. 2d 782, 625 N.W.2d 913
Issue: Whether the trial court incorrectly applied federal poverty guidelines in refusing to appoint counsel at county expense, after the defendant failed to qualify under public defender standards.
Holding: Although federal poverty guidelines are not necessarily conclusive, they should be used “as a proper consideration for court-appointed counsel,” ¶8. Here, the court considered these guidelines in denying the defendant’s request for counsel without a hearing,
Right to Be Present – Voir Dire
State v. George S. Tulley, 2001 WI App 236
For Tulley: Patrick M. Donnelly
Issue: Whether excluding defendant and his attorney from in camera voir dire of several jurors was reversible error.
Holding: A defendant has both constitutional and statutory rights to be present, with assistance of counsel, at voir dire, and the trial court therefore erred in excluding them from the in camera proceedings.
Waiver of Appeal — Arguably Meritorious Appellate Issue that Would Have Incurred Risk
State ex rel. Richard A. Ford (II) v. Holm, 2006 WI App 176, PFR filed 9/11/06; on appeal following remand in 2004 WI App 22 (“Ford I”)
For Ford: James R. Troupis
For Amicus: Joseph N. Ehmann, SPD, Madison Appellate
Issue/Holding: Given circuit court findings “that Ford affirmatively elected not to pursue any issue that would result in the withdrawal of his plea and the possible reinstatement of a second sexual assault charge,” he is deemed to have knowingly and voluntarily waived his right to pursue a postconviction challenge to his guilty plea;
Guardianship/Protective Placement: Waiver of Conflict of Interest by Person Adjudicated Incompetent
Guerrero v. Cavey, 2000 WI App 203, 238 Wis.2d 449, 617 N.W.2d 849
Issue: Whether a person adjudicated incompetent may waive her attorney’s conflict of interest.
Holding: Because the client’s understanding of the attorney’s potentially divided loyalty is a necessary component of waiver of a conflict, and because no claim is made that the circuit court erred in finding the mother to be incompetent, she was,
Counsel – Conflict of Interest – Guardianship — Dual Representation, Competing Interests
Guerrero v. Cavey, 2000 WI App 203, 238 Wis.2d 449, 617 N.W.2d 849
Issue: Whether an attorney’s dual representation of the subject of a guardianship and her son worked a conflict of interest.
Holding: The two clients had competing interests, including the son’s desire to buy his mother’s house at below market value, and the attorney therefore had a conflict of interest, ¶¶13-17.
Counsel – Conflict of Interest – Prior Representation by Prosecutor: “Reverse Representation”
State v. David Kalk, 2000 WI App 62, 234 Wis. 2d 98, 608 N.W.2d 428
For Kalk: John A. Pray, UW Law School
Issue: Whether the defendant satisfied his burden of showing an actual conflict of interest stemming from his prior representation by the prosecutor on an unrelated charge.
Holding: Given the trial court’s findings of historical fact, defendant did not show that his prosecution was influenced by the prior representation.Analysis: Kalk’s prosecutor had previously represented him on an unrelated charge.
Counsel – Ineffective Assistance – Deficient Performance – failure to investigate, based on defendant’s version
State v. David S. Leighton, 2000 WI App 156, 237 Wis.2d 709, 616 N.W.2d 126
For Leighton: Daniel Snyder
Issue: Whether defendant’s first counsel was ineffective for failing to file formal discovery demand and investigate various matters.
Holding: Because counsel withdrew before the prelim, and because there is no right to discovery before prelim, counsel couldn’t have been deficient for failing to file a demand, ¶37; because defendant failed to show what information counsel might have uncovered,