On Point blog, page 16 of 24

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court of appeals decision (1-judge, not for publication); for Haynor: Peter L. Ramirez; BiC; Resp.; Reply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,

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Interrogation – Ambiguous Request for Counsel; Joinder/Severance; Evidence – Autopsy Photos

State v. Adamm D.J. Linton, 2010 WI App 129; for Linton: Joseph E. Redding; BiC; Resp.; Reply

Interrogation – Ambiguous Request for Counsel

Initial custodial questioning terminated when Linton invoked his right to silence. During subsequent re-interrogation, Linton said, “when I asked for a lawyer earlier, why wasn’t he appointed to me?” The detective indicated that if Linton was asking for a lawyer then the police would “just stop talking to”

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State v. Chad W. Voeller, No. 2009AP001596-CR, District II, 7/28/10

court of appeals decision (3-judge, not recommended for publication); for Voeller: Steven G. Richards; BiC; Resp.; Reply

Counsel – Sanction – Appendix

¶9 n. 3:

Contrary to the State’s certification, the appendix does not include the trial court’s findings or opinion. The transcript of the oral findings and opinion should have been included in the appendix.

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State v. Daniel Perry Oswald, No. 2009AP2455-CR, District I, 7/20/10

court of appeals decision (3-judge, not recommended for publication); for Oswald: Ellen Henak, SPD, Milwaukee Appellate; BiC; Resp.; Reply

Evidence – Consciousness of Guilt

Testimony from the Oswald’s parole agent, that Oswald missed an appointment shortly after the incident in question and that he seemed nervous when they later met, was relevant as “consciousness of guilt.” Admissibility wasn’t substantially outweighed by danger of unfair prejudice,

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State v. Miguel Marinez, No. 2009AP567-CR, Wis SCt rev grant 6/29/10

decision below (unpublished); for Marinez: Ralph Sczygelski

Issues (as provided by the court):

Did the circuit court erroneously exercise its discretion by admitting other acts evidence of the minor child’s videotaped statement without excerption of the hand-burning references?

Did the court of appeals err by applying the de novo standard of review to the circuit court’s decision admitting the minor child’s videotaped statement without excerption of the hand-burning references?

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Jury Instructions: Exposing Child to Harmful Materials – Accident Defense – Waiver; Evidence: Richard A.P. – Corroboration Rule; Evidence: Character – Polygraph Offer; Voluntary Statement

State v. Esteban M. Gonzalez, 2010 WI App 104, reversed, 2011 WI 63, see: this post; for Gonzalez: Kristin Anne Hodorowski; BiC; Resp.; Reply

Jury Instructions – Exposing Child to Harmful Materials

The pattern instruction on exposing a child to harmful material, § 948.11(2)(a), accurately recites the elements, including scienter.

¶11 We agree with the trial court’s assessment that the pattern instruction accurately states the law.

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Evidence – Extraneous Misconduct; Effective Assistance

State v. Raymond A. Habersat, No. 2009AP976-CR, District I, 7/7/10

court of appeals decision (3-judge; not recommended for publication); for Habersat: Angela Conrad Kachelski; BiC; Resp.; Reply

Evidence – Extraneous Misconduct

On Habersat’s trial for first-degree sexual assault of a child, admission of evidence of his 1991 sexual assault of a child to establish motive and intent was a proper exercise of discretion,

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State v. Brian A. Oetzman, 2009AP2514-CR, District II, 6/9/10

court of appeals decision (1-judge; not for publication); for Oetzman: Kirk B. Obear; BiC; Resp.; Reply

Traffic Stop – U-Turn

¶8     As such, three rules of the road come into play.Under Wis. Stat. § 346.34(1), no person may turn a vehicle at an intersection unless the vehicle is in proper position upon the roadway as required in Wis.

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State v. Miguel E. Marinez, Jr., No. 2009AP567-CR, District IV, 3/18/10, reversed 2011 WI 12

court of appeals decision (3-judge, not recommended for publication); BiC; Resp. Br.; Reply Br.
Reversed, 2011 WI 12

Evidence – Extraneous Misconduct – “Context”
On trial for sexual assault of defendant’s young stepdaughter, evidence that defendant also burned her hand was not admissible to show the “context” of the alleged crime.

¶15      Here,

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State v. Brandon J. Carter, 2010 WI App 37

court of appeals decision; for Carter: Melinda A. Swartz, SPD, Milwaukee Appellate; Resp. Br.; Reply Br.

Ex Parte Judicial Questioning, Pretrial Proceeding
Pretrial judicial questioning of a witness at return of a bench warrant worked deprivation of the defendant’s rights to counsel and presence at trial when the witness was subsequently impeached with statements she made during that exchange, ¶¶17-21. The error, though occurring but once and limited to impeachment,

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