Explore in-depth analysis

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.

Waiver (Lack of Objection); Instructions – Self-Defense; McMorris Evidence

State v. Curtis L. Jackson, 2011AP2698-CR, District 1, 10/10/12; court of appeals decision (not recommended for publication), petition for review granted 2/11/13, affirmed, 2014 WI 4 (1/22/14); case activity

Waiver (Lack of Objection), Generally – Jury Instructions

¶8        … To obtain relief based on a jury instruction to which no objection was made, Jackson must show that “considering the proceedings as a whole,

Read full article >

Delinquency Proceeding – Plea Withdrawal

State v. Darold M., 2012AP1020, District 1, 10/10/12

court of appeals decision (1-judge, ineligible for publication); case activity

Juvenile was not entitled to evidentiary hearing on his plea-withdrawal motion, which was premised on an unchecked box on the plea questionnaire signifying whether he understood the charges.

¶2        We conclude that Darold has not met his burden of showing that plea withdrawal is necessary to prevent a manifest injustice under the juvenile plea statute, 

Read full article >

Counsel: Sanctions – Pre-Litigation Advice

Godfrey & Kahn, S.C. v. Circuit Court for Milwaukee County, 2012 WI App 120(recommended for publication); case activity

A court doesn’t possess inherent authority to impose on counsel a sanction (here, monetary) for pre-litigation advice, that is, conduct occurring before the court’s jurisdiction was invoked:

¶3        We conclude that the record, particularly the trial court’s own words in its ruling, clearly shows that the trial court imposed the sanction for pre-litigation legal advice that the trial court believed Godfrey &

Read full article >

Probation: DOC Discharge Certificate (§ 973.09(5)) Wrongly Issued, Prior to Expiration of Term; Certiorari Review: Equitable Estoppel Inapplicable

Ardonis Greer v. David H. Schwarz, 2012 WI App 122, petition for review granted 6/12/13, affirmed, 2014 WI 19; case activity

DOC Discharge Certificate (Probation, § 973.09(5)) – Wrongly Issued, Prior to Expiration of Term of Probation 

As a function of “administrative error,” the department of corrections issued Greer a discharge certificate before his term of probation had expired.

Read full article >

Summary Contempt, §§ 785.01(1)(a), 785.04(2)(b); Conduct Prompted by the Court

Cesar Deleon v. Circuit Court for Brown County, 2012AP278, District 3, 10/10/12

court of appeals decision (1-judge, ineligible for publication); case activity

Summary Contempt, §§ 785.01(1)(a), 785.04(2)(b) – “Unit” of Sanctionable Conduct 

Separate, consecutive punishments meted out for each of 11 profane utterances and 1 act of spitting during brief exchange with judge upheld, against argument they “amounted only to a single act of contempt because they took place during a short period of time.”

Read full article >

Forfeiture Action: Personal Jurisdiction

State v. Robert M. Schmitt, 2012 WI App 121 (recommended for publication); case activity

Although “the summons, complaint and the supporting affidavit must each be authenticated as a condition of personal jurisdiction when commencing a forfeiture action,” ¶1,  an authentication defect attributable to a clerk’s error is merely technical and doesn’t impair jurisdiction.

¶4        In Schmitt’s case, the first page of the summons and the first page of the complaint were each authenticated,

Read full article >

Jonathan Edward Boyer v. Louisiana, USSC No. 11-9953, cert granted 10/5/12

Question Presented:

Whether a state’s failure to fund counsel for an indigent defendant for five years, particularly where failure was the direct result of the prosecution’s choice to seek the death penalty, should be weighed against the state for speedy trial purposes?

Docket

Lower court opinion (State v. Boyer, 56 So.3d 1119 (La. App. 2011)

Scotusblog page

The issue appears to be whether inability to assign counsel is a “systemic breakdown”

Read full article >

Allen Ryan Alleyne v. U.S., USSC No. 11-9335, cert granted 10/5/12

Question Presented:

Whether this Court’s decision in Harris v. United States, 536 U.S. 545 (2002), should be overruled.

Docket

Lower court opinion (U.S. v. Alleyne, CTA4 No. 11-4208, 12/15/11 (unpublished))

Scotusblog page

Alleyne was convicted by a jury of using or carrying a firearm during and in relation to a robbery,

Read full article >

Expert Testimony – Retrograde Extrapolation (BAC)

County of Marathon v. Paul R. DeBuhr, District 3, 2011AP2959, 10/2/12

court of appeals decision (1-judge, ineligible for publication); case activity

¶13      At the outset, we observe that DeBuhr was given the opportunity to raise his concerns about Hackworthy’s testimony and retrograde extrapolation in the circuit court but failed to do so.  DeBuhr never responded to the County’s brief in support of admitting the testimony and never offered any argument in support of his earlier assertion that he believed retrograde extrapolation was “not proper science.”  As a result,

Read full article >

Ch. 51 Commitment – Sufficiency of Evidence -Jury of Six

Milwaukee County v. Mary F.-R., 2012AP958, District 1, 10/2/12; court of appeals (1-judge, ineligible for publication), petition for review granted 2/11/13; case activity

Ch. 51 Commitment – Sufficiency of Evidence

Evidence held sufficient to uphold commitment, on issue of “dangerousness,” State v. Poellinger, 153 Wis. 2d 493, 507, 451 N.W.2d 752, (1990), applied:

 ¶12      Here,

Read full article >

On Point is sponsored by Wisconsin State Public Defenders. All content is subject to public disclosure. Comments are moderated. If you have questions about this blog, please email [email protected].

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.