On Point blog, page 189 of 263

Stipulation to finding of contempt and purge conditions precludes appeal

Town of Stettin v. Hoeppner, Appeal No. 2103AP1201, 3/11/14, District 3 (1-judge, ineligible for publication); case activity

The Hoeppners found themselves on the wrong side of an action seeking judicial enforcement of certain town ordinances.  When they settled the case, they stipulated to a finding that they were in contempt and to the conditions they had to perform in order to purge the contempt.  Then they failed to purge their contempt,

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Trial counsel was not ineffective for failing to challenge photo array evidence or object to alleged prosecutorial misconduct

State v. Mario Emmanuel James, 2013AP309-CR, District 1, 3/11/14; court of appeals decision (not recommended for publication); case activity

James, charged with armed robbery, alleged trial counsel was ineffective based on various alleged omissions, including the following:

  • Failing to object to evidence that the victims of the robbery identified James from a photo array based on the claim that it was a suggestive identification procedure because the police told the victims before they viewed the array that they had found the victims’
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Discovery violation didn’t require mistrial, and evidence was sufficient to support possession of firearm conviction

State v. Francisco Luis Canales, 2013AP1435-CR, District 1, 3/11/14; court of appeals decision (not recommended for publication); case activity

Though the state violated its discovery obligation by failing to disclose multiple computer-aided dispatch (CAD) reports describing 9-1-1 calls regarding the incident, the circuit court did not erroneously exercise its discretion in denying Canales’s motion for mistrial after the discovery violation came to light.

A mistrial is appropriate only when there is a “manifest necessity,” for “the law prefers less drastic alternatives,

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Even if officer’s opening of vehicle door was an unreasonable search, evidence obtained would have inevitably been discovered

State v. Mitchell M. Treiber, 2013AP2684-CR, District 3, 3/11/14; court of appeals decision (1-judge; ineligible for publication); case activity

The inevitable discovery doctrine, which provides that “evidence obtained during a search which is tainted by some illegal act may be admissible if the tainted evidence would have been inevitably discovered by lawful means,” State v. Lopez, 207 Wis. 2d 413, 427, 559 N.W.2d 264 (Ct.

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Prosecutor’s improper opening statement didn’t show intent to provoke mistrial, so defendant can be retried

State v. Nancy Jean Wall, 2013AP787-CR, District 4, 3/6/14; court of appeals decision (not recommended for publication); case activity

The prosecutor’s reference during opening statement that Wall’s BAC was over the legal limit of 0.02, despite a stipulation designed to keep that threshold from being referred to during trial, was not intended to provoke a mistrial. Therefore, the circuit court’s dismissal of the charges was erroneous.

Wall,

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12- to 13-month charging delay did not violate Sixth Amendment speedy trial guarantee

State v. Brian C. Beahm, 2013AP1678-CR, District 4, 3/6/14; court of appeals decision (1-judge; ineligible for publication); case activity

An 12- to 13-month delay between Beahm’s arrest and the filing of OWI charges did not violate his Sixth Amendment right to speedy trial.

Whether a defendant’s Sixth Amendment right to a speedy trial has been violated depends on: the length of the delay; the reason for the delay;

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Taking defendant from site of stop to nearby police station didn’t turn stop into an arrest

State v. Michael J. Adrian, Jr., 2013AP1890-CR, District 4, 3/6/14; court of appeals decision (1-judge; ineligible for publication); case activity

Transporting Adrian from the site his vehicle was stopped to the nearest police station for the purpose of performing field sobriety tests did not convert a lawful Terry detention into an illegal custodial arrest.

A person temporarily detained under Terry may be moved “in the general vicinity of the stop without converting what would otherwise be a temporary seizure into an arrest.” State v.

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Officer had reasonable suspicion to continue detention and administer field sobriety tests

Marquette County v. Randy S. Tomaw, 2013AP1510, District 4, 3/6/14; court of appeals decision (1-judge; ineligible for publication); case activity

Tomaw was going 17 miles over the speed limit at 1:20 on a Sunday morning. He did not appear to respond to the officer’s initial attempt at contact, his upper body swayed as he walked to the rear of his vehicle, and the officer detected the “strong odor” of alcohol on his breath.

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Incomplete record means no review

State v. Daniel T. Storm, 2013AP2212, District 2, 3/5/13; court of appeals decision (1-judge; ineligible for publication); case activity

The court of appeals rejects Storm’s claim that the circuit court imposed a fine and costs without determining his ability to pay because Storm did not provide a complete record on appeal:

¶4        It would have been nice had Storm provided us with the transcripts of those hearings [to which the circuit court’s written decision referred] so that we could see for ourselves what happened which resulted in the stipulation.

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Defendant failed to prove her panic attack justified pre-sentencing plea withdrawal

State v. Gabriella Bernabei, 2013AP1734-CR & 2013AP1735-CR, District 4, 2/27/14; court of appeals decision (1-judge; ineligible for publication); case activity: 2013AP1734-CR; 2013AP1735-CR

The trial court properly denied Bernabei’s motion to withdraw her pleas before sentencing because the record supported its conclusion that she had not proven she was suffering a panic attack at the time she entered her pleas.

Bernabei was charged with child neglect and multiple counts of animal mistreatment.

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