On Point blog, page 253 of 266

Repeated Sexual Assault – Sufficiency of Evidence; Effective Assistance of Counsel

State v. Darrell Lemont Otis, 2010AP589, District 1, 2/1/11

court of appeals decision (3-judge, not recommended for publication); for Otis: Bryan C. Lichstein; case activity; Otis BiC; State Resp.; Reply

Repeated Sexual Assault – Sufficiency of Evidence

Repeated sexual assault, § 948.025(1)(b), requires proof of 3 elements: 3 or more sexual assaults; within a specified period of time;

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Harmless Error; Hearsay – Medical Treatment/Diagnosis

State v. Jimmie Lee Higgins, 2010AP861-CR, District 1, 2/1/11

court of appeals decision (3-judge, not recommended for publication); for Higgins: Ellen Henak, SPD, Milwaukee Appellate; case activity; Higgins BiC; State Resp.; Reply

Any error with respect to exclusion of the victim’s pretrial statement to the police in one instance, and admissibility of her statements to a nurse, would be harmless.

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Self-Representation – SVP

State v. Lee Alexander Brown, 2010AP970, District 1, 2/1/11

court of appeals decision (3-judge, not recommended for publication); for Brown: Russell D. Bohach; case activity; Brown BiC; State Resp.

The court holds that Brown knowingly, intelligently and voluntarily waived his right to counsel at trial on his sexually violent person petition.  Although there is a question as to whether the right to counsel under the 6th amendment and Art.

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Right to Present Defense – Prosecutorial Intimidation of Witness; Comment on Guilt

State v. Jevell Williams, 2010AP1266-CR, District 1, 2/1/11

court of appeals decision (3-judge, not recommended for publication); for Williams: Bradley J. Wochowicz; case activity; Williams BiC; State Resp.; Reply

Right to Present Defense – Prosecutorial Intimidation of Witness

The prosecutor didn’t violate Williams’s right to present a defense by raising the possibility that his alibi witness had potentially violated a no-contact order by contacting a State’s witness on Williams’s behalf.

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Obstructing – Complaint, Probable Cause; Self-representation

State v. Richard A. Wusterbarth, 2010AP1306-CR, District 3, 2/1/11

court of appeals decision (1-judge, not for publication); for Wusterburth: Eileen A Hirsch, SPD, Madison Appellate; case activity; Wusterburth BiC; State Resp.; Reply

The complaint established probable cause for obstructing, § 946.41(1), by alleging that Wusterburth made a false report to the police that a neighbor was manufacturing drugs,

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Restitution

State v. Gary R. Sampson, 2010AP1930-CR, District 3, 2/1/11

court of appeals decision (1-judge, not for publication); for Sampson: Donna L. Hintze, SPD, Madison Appellate; case activity; Sampson BiC; State Resp.; Reply

Sampson was guilty of theft for keeping a down payment to make improvements to a business without finishing the work. However, he is liable for restitution,

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Reasonable Suspicion – Traffic Stop – Informant’s Tip

State v. Joshua J. Hysell, 2010AP1817-CR, District 4, 1/27/11

court of appeals decision (1-judge, not for publication); for Hysell: John Smerlinski; case activity; Hysell BiC; State Resp.

Phoned tip by driver who gave his name and described the subject vehicle as “all over the road” held sufficiently reliable to support reasonable suspicion for stop.

Because the informant gave his name,

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Ineffective Assistance Claim – Necessity of Motion; Entrapment – Child Sex Crime with Computer

State v. Tushar S. Achha, 2009AP1977-CR, District 2, 1/26/11

court of appeals decision (3-judge, not for publication); pro se; case activity; State Resp.

Ineffective Assistance Claim – Necessity of Motion

Failure to preserve a challenge to trial counsel’s performance via postconviction motion waives the issue on appeal, ¶19.

Entrapment – Child Sex Crime with Computer

Challenge to sufficiency of evidence to negate entrapment defense rejected,

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Habeas – Challenge to Release Date – Sentence Credit

State ex rel. Christopher L. Shelton v. Smith, 2010AP719, District 2, 1/26/11 

court of appeals decision (not recommended for publication); case activity; State Resp.

Shelton was sentenced on two pre-TIS counts: an active (indeterminate) prison sentence on one count and a consecutive term of probation on the other. He served out the first sentence, with the prison indisputably holding him 143 days past his release date.

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Search & Seizure – Community Caretaker

State v. Ashley M. Toliver, 2010AP484-CR, District 2, 1/26/11

court of appeals decision (3-judge, not recommended for publication); for Toliver: Elizabeth Ewald-Herrick; case activity

Community caretaker doctrine supported, in the first instance, search of seemingly lost purse found in common area of apartment building; and, in the second, entry of apartment after co-inhabitant requested officer to lock it up, as he was being transported for medical care.

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