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On Point is a judicial analysis blog written by members of the Wisconsin State Public Defenders. It includes cases from the Wisconsin Court of Appeals, Supreme Court of Wisconsin, and the Supreme Court of the United States.
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Sec. 973.015 expunction denied based on new, court-imposed deadline and filing requirements
State v. Kearney Hemp, 2014 WI App 34, petition for review granted 6/12/14, reversed 2014 WI 129; case activity Every so often there’s an opinion that makes you shake your head in disbelief. This is one of them. Hemp was convicted with 1 count of possession with intent to deliver THC, aka hemp. A court granted […]
Defendant can’t withdraw plea based on claim he wasn’t informed of the domestic abuse modifier, but there was no basis to assess the domestic abuse surcharge
State v. Ryan P. O’Boyle, 2013AP1004-CR, District 1, 2/4/14; court of appeals decision (1-judge; ineligible for publication); case activity O’Boyle’ claimed his lawyer was ineffective for failing to move to strike the references in the complaint to “domestic abuse” because that isn’t a separate, stand-alone charge. He also claimed counsel failed to explain that the […]
Admission of other-acts evidence wasn’t error; trial court properly denied mistrial motion
State v. Timothy A. Jago, 2013AP1084-CR, District 1, 2/4/14; court of appeals decision (not recommended for publication); case activity Trial counsel was not ineffective for failing to move in limine to exclude other-acts evidence–specifically, evidence that Jago told the victim he has only pointed a gun at two people in his life, the victim and […]
Links to this week’s fun (and serious) news about criminal law and the legal profession!
Whether you need a good laugh or a fresh, in-depth analysis on a hot legal issue, On Point has just the link for you! New study ranks best jobs in America. Can you guess where “lawyer” falls? Hint: somewhere after maintenance/repair worker. Click here. But wait! See this article: “Why Are Immigration Lawyers Sooooo Happy?” Note […]
Evidentiary hearing on post-disposition motion in contempt case deemed waste of time once sentence is served
State v. Mark Peterson, 2013AP1398, 1/29/14, District 2 (1-judge opinion, ineligible for publication); docket After Peterson served a 120-day jail term imposed for failing to meet the conditions required to purge a contempt finding, he moved for an evidentiary hearing. His goal was to show that serious errors had occurred at the hearing where the […]
Boater in canal lock wasn’t seized when officer on the lock wall engaged him in conversation
State v. Javier Teniente, 2013AP799-CR, District 4, 1/30/14; court of appeals decision (1-judge; ineligible for publication); case activity Teniente was on his boat in the chamber of Madison’s Tenney Locks waiting for the water to rise. Piqued by Teniente’s boisterous behavior, an officer standing on the wall of the lock engaged Teniente in conversation. (¶¶3-4, 15). This interaction wasn’t a […]
SCOW: Jury need not unanimously agree on the location of an alleged sexual assault
State v. Darryl J. Badzinski, 2014 WI 6, reversing unpublished court of appeals decision; case activity Badzinski was charged with sexually assaulting his niece, A.R.B., during a family gathering at the home of his parents. (¶¶8-9). A.R.B. testified the assault occurred in a specific room–the basement laundry room. (¶11). But there was also testimony from multiple defense witnesses […]
Ignition interlock must be ordered in first offense OWI when defendant has prior offense outside the 10 year counting period
Village of Grafton v. Eric L. Seatz, 2014 WI App 23; case activity “The issue presented is straightforward: Must a court order the installation of an ignition interlock device when a defendant is convicted of first-offense operating while intoxicated (OWI) and also has a prior conviction for an OWI offense? The answer is yes.” (¶1). Seatz was […]
Court of appeals orders trial court to explain its restitution decision (again)
State v. Thomas G. Felski, 2013AP1796-CR, District 2, 1/29/14; court of appeals decision (1-judge; ineligible for publication); case activity For a second time the court of appeals reverses a restitution order and remands the case for the circuit court to explain how it arrived at the restitution figure. Felski was convicted of performing home improvement […]
Prompt judicial determination of probable cause not required for arrest resulted in detention on probation hold
State v. Ronald Terry, 2013AP1940-CR, District 2, 1/29/14; court of appeals decision (1-judge; ineligible for publication); case activity Terry was arrested and detained on a probation hold. (¶¶2, 5). About ten days later he was charged with obstructing and, on the same day, appeared in court for a probable cause and bail hearing. (¶3). He […]
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On Point provides information (not legal advice) about important developments in the law. Please note that this information may not be up to date. Viewing this blog does not create an attorney-client relationship with the Wisconsin State Public Defender. Readers should consult an attorney for their legal needs.