On Point blog, page 15 of 15

Confrontation – Hearsay: Social Interest Exception, Particularized Guarantees of Trustworthiness

State v. Edward A. Murillo, 2001 WI App 11, 240 Wis. 2d 666, 623 N.W.2d 187, habeas relief granted, Edward A. Murillo v. Frank, 402 F3d 786 (7th Cir. 2005)
For Murillo: Craig Albee

Issue: Whether a statement implicating defendant in a homicide and made by his brother and fellow gang member while in police custody satisfied the against-social-interest hearsay exception,

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Assessment of Pre-Existing Information not “Newly Discovered” — Sexually Violent Persons Proceeding

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,

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§ 904.01, Relevance – Demonstrative Evidence

State v. Garren G. Gribble, 2001 WI App 227, PFR filed
For Gribble: Charles B. Vetzner, SPD, Madison Appellate

Issue: Whether a witness should have been permitted to demonstrate with a doll the force used to cause injuries to the child victim.

Holding: The fact that the experts couldn’t agree on the exact cause of the injuries goes to weight, not admissibility, of the demonstration.

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Double Jeopardy – Multiplicity: Sexual Assault — Distinct Intrusions

State v. William Koller, 2001 WI App 253, PFR filed
For Koller: Peter M. Koneazny, SPD, Milwaukee Appellate

Issue: Whether distinct types of sexual assault (mouth-vagina and penis-vagina) necessarily support distinct counts.

Holding:

¶59     There is another reason Koller’s second multiplicity challenge fails.  This second claim is directed primarily at the relationship between Count 4 (mouth-to-vagina contact), on the one hand, and Counts 3 and 5 (penis-to-vagina intercourse),

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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,

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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.

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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..

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Reasonable Suspicion – Stop – Basis – Identified 911 Caller

State v. Michael A. Sisk, 2001 WI App 182
For Sisk: Elvis Banks

Issue: Whether the police had reasonable suspicion to stop, based on information from a 911 call made from a payphone by an informant who provided nothing other than a name by way of identifying himself.

Holding:

¶8. Here, because the caller gave what he said was his name, the trial court erred in viewing the call as an anonymous one.

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Exigency — Blood Alcohol

State v. Robert W. Wodenjak, 2001 WI App 216, PFR filed 8/31/01
For Wodenjak: Rex Anderegg

Issue: Whether administration of a blood test, following OWI arrest, was reasonable under the fourth amendment, where the police first rejected the driver’s request for a (less invasive) breath test.

Holding: As long as the standard for warrantless blood draw established by State v. Bohling,

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