On Point blog, page 53 of 88
Battery – Self-Defense – Sufficiency of Evidence; Sanctions – Improper Briefing
State v. Richard Martin Kubat, 2010AP509-CR, District 3, 9/21/10
court of appeals decision (1-judge, not for publication); for Kubat: Marc Grant Kurzman; BiC; Resp.
Battery – Self-Defense – Sufficiency of Evidence
A verbal confrontation between truckers at a truck stop eventuated in Belcher disabling Kubat’s truck and inviting Kubat to get his punk ass out of his cab “and get it.” Kubat accepted the invitation and brought his tire knocker along as his own guest.
Manipulation of Adult Jurisdiction over Juvenile Offense; Bail Jumping – Jurisdiction to Impose Conditions; Sanctions – Appellate Violations
State v. Drew E. Bergwin, 2010 WI App 137; for Bergwin: Roberta A. Heckes; BiC; Resp.; Reply
Manipulation of Adult Jurisdiction over Juvenile Offense
When the State brings a criminal charge against an adult defendant for an offense committed as a juvenile, the State must affirmatively show that the delay in charging wasn’t intended to manipualte the system to avoid juvenile court jurisdiction,
Expert Witness Qualifications; Admissibility – Field Sobriety Tests; WI (Drugs) – Sufficiency of Evidence
City of Mequon v. James E. Haynor, 2010AP466-FT, District 2, 9/8/10
court of appeals decision (1-judge, not for publication); for Haynor: Peter L. Ramirez; BiC; Resp.; Reply
Expert Witness Qualifications – Lab Chemist: Physiological Effects of Drugs
The trial court didn’t erroneously exercise discretion in qualifying as an expert, the supervisor of forensic toxicology at the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene on the matter of how certain drugs interact and impair judgment,
Obstructing – Unanimity – Course of Conduct; Obstructing – Sufficiency of Proof
State v. Jennette L. Ellifritz, 2010AP713-CR, District 2, 9/1/10
court of appeals decision (1-judge, not for publication); for Ellifritz: Gary Grass; BiC; Resp.; Reply
Obstructing – Unanimity – Course of Conduct
Because Ellifritz’s actions occurred during a single course of action, over a short (40-second) period of time, instructional failure to require agreement as to which separate act constituted obstructing didn’t violate her right to unanimous verdict;
Incest – Sufficiency of Evidence
State v. Nick J. W., 2009AP2030-CR, District 4, 8/26/10
court of appeals decision (3-judge, not recommended for publication); for Nick J.W.: Joseph L. Sommers; BiC; Resp.; Reply
Incest – Sufficiency of Evidence
The 16-year-old complainant’s testimony that her biological father had sex with her sufficed to prove the crime of incest, the court rejecting the defense argument that, because she didn’t look at the perpetrator,
PAC – Burden of Proof
State v. David E. Steinke, 2009AP3207-CR, District 4, 8/26/10
court of appeals decision (1-judge, not for publication); for Steinke: Cody Wagner; BiC; Resp.; Reply
Driving with a prohibited alcohol content of .08 or more, second offense, is a crime and therefore subject to beyond-reasonable-doubt burden of proof. Sitting as trier of fact in a bench trial, the circuit arguably misapprehended the burden as greater weight of the credible evidence,
Disorderly Conduct – Sufficiency of Evidence
State v. Kurt D. Schmidt, 2010AP551-CR, District 3, 8/24/10
court of appeals decision (1-judge, not for publication); for Schmidt: Andrew John Laufers; BiC; Resp.; Reply
Conviction for disorderly conduct was established by evidence that Schmidt, following a contentious divorce, left messages on his ex-wife’s answering machine cautioning her “to question (her) own personal assurance and insurance,” and falsely reporting that her stepmother had died.
Reasonable Suspicion – Traffic Stop; OWI – Habitual Offender – Collateral Attack
State v. Randall L. Wegener, 2010AP452-CR, District 1, 8/18/10
court of appeals decision (1-judge, not for publication); for Wegener: Kirk B. Obear; BiC; Resp.
Reasonable Suspicion – Traffic Stop
Inclement winter weather didn’t obviate the need to stay within the proper lane, such that crossing the center line, even briefly a few times, provided reasonable suspicion to perform a traffic stop.
¶6 Wegener argues that Fabry did not have reasonable suspicion to conduct a traffic stop because he was driving appropriately for part of the time he was followed and blames his lack of control of his vehicle on the snowy weather conditions.
State v. Brent S. Watling, 2009AP1727-CR, District 2, 8/11/10
court of appeals decision (3-judge, not recommended for publication); for Watling: Margaret A. Maroney, Shelley M. Fite, SPD, Madison Appellate; BiC; Resp.; Reply
Sentencing – Exercise of Discretion – Sex Offender Registration
The sentencing court properly exercised discretion in requiring Watling to register as a sex offender on his conviction for 4th-degree sexual assault, ¶¶7-15.
Registration requirements are set out in § 301.45.
Recusal – Waiver; Guilty Plea – Factual Basis – Sexual Intercourse with Child
State v. Roger D. Godwin, No. 2009AP2999-CR, District 4, 8/5/10
court of appeals decision (1-judge, not for publication); pro se
Recusal – Waiver
¶10 Godwin argues that Judge VanDeHey should have recused himself from the case because one of the judge’s colleagues, Judge Curry, and other courthouse staff were Godwin’s victims in the bomb threat case. The State argues that the judge was not required to recuse under WIS.