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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.

State v. Matthew A. Lonkoski, No. 2010AP2809-CR, WSC review granted 10/16/12

on review of unpublished decision; case activity

Issue (composed by On Point) 

Whether, after asserting his right to counsel, Lonkonski initiated further communication with the police so as to allow admissibility of his ensuing statement, Edwards v. Arizona, 451 U.S. 477, 483-85 (1981).

There may be a threshold dispute as to whether Lonkoski was in custody at the time he asserted his right to counsel,

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State v. Matthew R. Steffes, 2012 WI App 47, WSC review granted 10/16/12

on review of published decisioncase activity

Issues (composed by On Point): 

1. Whether the evidence is sufficient to sustain conviction for conspiracy-theft by fraud, in that: no conspirator expressly made a false representation; and in any event, Steffes joined the conspiracy after it had already been set in motion.

2. Whether the evidence is sufficient to sustain conviction for a felony, in that the evidence failed to establish theft of at least $2,500.

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TPR – Withdrawal of Admission

Nicole P. v. Michael P., 2012AP780, District 3, 10/16/12

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

Father’s motion to withdraw admission to grounds (based on asserted lack of understanding that: termination of parental rights required an unfitness determination; sole focus of dispositional hearing would be child’s best interests, with no concern for parent’s own interests; disposition could result in permanent extinction of all his parental rights),

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Reasonable Suspicion – Domestic Violence – Anonymous Tip

City of Sheboygan v. Herbert Binkowsky, 2012AP974, District 2, 10/17/12

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

An anonymous call to the police, reporting the commission of domestic violence by a suspect who drove away in a red Cadillac with an identified plate number, was sufficiently corroborated to support a stop of a car matching the description.

¶13      “[I]f a tip contains strong indicia of an informant’s basis of knowledge,

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TPR – Right to Meaningful Participation – Lack of Objection

Veronica K. v. Michael K., 2012AP197, District 1, 10/10/12

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

Michael K., incarcerated at the time of this TPR trial, appeared by audio-video hookup. He argues that his due process right to meaningful participation, State v. Lavelle W., 2005 WI App 266, ¶2, 288 Wis. 2d 504, 708 N.W.2d 698, in light of his numerous contemporaneous complaints he couldn’t hear the proceedings. 

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SVP – Discharge Hearing

State v. Kenneth Roberts, 2012AP266, District 3, 10/11/12

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

Discharge hearing wasn’t required on petition, where the sole expert opinion affirmed a high risk of recividism based on “dynamic” factors, notwithstanding that revised actuarial scoring methodology yielded a lower risk for “static” factors. State v. Arends, 2010 WI 46, 325 Wis. 2d 1,

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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,

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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, 

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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 &

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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.

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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.