On Point blog, page 1 of 4
December 2022 publication order
On December 21, 2022, the court of appeals ordered the publication of the following criminal law related decisions:
Defense win! Subject has right to be physically present at guardianship and protective placement hearings
Racine County v. P.B., 2022 WI App 62; case activity
Section 54.42(5) and 55.10(4) give a person undergoing guardianship and protective placement the “right to be present” a the final hearing. Sections 54.44(4)(a) and 55.10(2) further require the county to ensure that the person “attends” the final hearing, unless the GAL waives attendance. In a published decision, the court of appeals holds that these statutes protect the person’s right to be physically present. Attendance by phone or video under §§885.58 and 885.60 does not suffice.
November 2022 publication list
On November 30, 2022, the court of appeals ordered publication of a single civil case.
Minor passenger in car operated by intoxicated driver is a “victim” for purposes of restitution statute
State v. Mark J. Gahart, 2022 WI App 61; case activity (including briefs)
The court of appeals holds that driving while intoxicated with a minor passenger is not a victimless crime: the minor passenger is a victim for purposes of the restitution statute.
October 2022 publication list
On October 26, 2022, the court of appeals ordered the publication of the following criminal law related decision:
State v. Terry L. Hibbard, 2022 WI 53 (aiding buyer in drug sale can lead to Len Bias liability because it also aids dealer)
COA rejects challenges to jury instructions: one good route to conviction is enough
State v. Dreama F. Harvey, 2022 WI App 60; case activity (including briefs)
A jury convicted Harvey of reckless homicide by the delivery of heroin. On appeal, she notes that the jury instructions would have permitted conviction on the theory that she either aided and abetted another supplier or was part of the chain of distribution–that is, that she supplied the person who actually sold the heroin to the decedent. But there was no evidence she’d done any of those things: if she’d committed the crime, all the evidence showed that it was by selling the heroin directly to the buyer, who ingested it and died. The verdict forms were general: the jury was asked only to determine guilt or innocence, not whether Harvey was the principal, an aider, or a higher-up in the chain. So, Harvey says, we can’t know whether the jury convicted her based on one of the other two theories for which there was no evidence, and her conviction must be reversed.
Court of Appeals: Aiding buyer in drug sale can lead to Len Bias liability because it also aided dealer
State v. Terry L. Hibbard, 2022 WI App 53; case activity (including briefs)
In a decision that allows for a sweeping expansion of aiding and abetting prosecutions in Len Bias cases, the court of appeals holds that a person assisting only a buyer a drug transaction could also be prosecuted for reckless homicide if the buyer dies from using the drug because any act aiding the buyer in getting the drugs also necessarily aids the seller in making the delivery.
September 2022 publication list
The court of appeals September 2022 publication order did not include any criminal cases.
August 2022 publication list
On August 31, 2022, the court of appeals ordered publication of the following criminal law related decisions:
Defense win: Successive prosecution of crimes after mistrial violated double jeopardy
State v. James P. Killian, 2022 WI App 43; review granted 1/20/23; reversed, 2023 WI 52; case activity (including briefs)
The state provoked a mistrial in a case charging Killian with child sexual assault offenses against two complainants. The circuit court later dismissed the case due to the prosecutor’s misconduct. When the state recharged Killian with sexual offenses against the same complainants the circuit court dismissed the new case as a violation of double jeopardy. The court of appeals affirms.