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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.

Extended Supervision Conditions – Suspicionless Searches; Battery to Law Officer, § 940.20(2) – Elements: Acting in Official Capacity

Wisconsin State v. Tally Ann Rowan, 2012 WI 60, on certification review ; case activity

Extended Supervision Conditions – Suspicionless Searches 

A condition of extended supervision “that allows any law enforcement officer to search [Tally]’s person, vehicle, or residence for firearms, at any time and without probable cause or reasonable suspicion,” was tailored to the particular facts and thus neither overbroad nor unrelated to Tally’s rehabilitative needs.

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Collateral-Attack Procedure: Habeas (Knight Petition), Laches Bar – Serial Litigation Bar, Previously-Litigated Issue

State v. Jerred Renard Washington / Jerred Renard Washington v. State, 2012 WI App 74 (recommended for publication); case activity (974.06); case activity (writ)

Habeas (Knight Petition) – Laches 

Following his plea-based conviction in 1997, Washington’s retained counsel filed a postconviction 809.30 motion in 1998. Counsel did not file a notice of appeal, however, after the motion was denied. Then, in 2009,

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Plea-Withdrawal, Pre-Sentence – Newly Discovered Evidence

State v. Matthew J. Laughrin, 2011AP1600-CR, District 1, 6/12/12

court of appeals decision (not recommended for publication); case activity

Laughrin, after pleading guilty to second-degree reckless homicide for providing a controlled substance (Suboxone) to someone who died after ingesting it, sought pre-sentencing plea-withdrawal on the basis of an expert’s report that Suboxone alone generally doesn’t cause death. The trial court denied the motion, and the court of appeals now affirms.

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TPR – Grounds: “Reasonable Effort” Obligation of Responsible Agency, § 48.415(2)(a)2b

State v. Elbert H., 2012AP446 / State v. Stacee P., 2012AP169, District 1, 6/12/12

court of appeals decision (1-judge, ineligible for publication); for Elbert H.: Devon M. Lee, SPD, Madison Appellate; case activity; for Stacee P.: Gregory Bates; case activity

The relevant agency’s responsibility to make a reasonable effort to provide court-ordered services encompasses post-petition activity:

¶8        Stacee P.’s contention that the proof of “reasonable effort” are limited to activities antedating the petition is belied by the statute,

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State ex rel. Office of State Public Defender v. Wis. Court of Appeals, 2012AP544-W, rev. granted 6/13/12

on review of petition for supervisory writ; for SPD: Joseph N. Ehmann, Kathleen A. Pakes; case activity

Postconviction Reference to PSI 

Issue (Composed by On Point): 

Whether, before litigating a presentence report-related sentencing issue, postconviction counsel must obtain circuit court permission to “access, discuss, cite to, and quote from a PSI report.”

Fall-out from State v. Parent, 2006 WI 132,

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State v. Leilani E. Neumann, 2011AP1105-CR / State v. Dale R. Neumann, 2011AP1044-CR, rev. granted 6/13/12

on review of certification request; for Leilani Neumann: Byron C. Lichstein; case activity; for Dale Neumann: Stephen L. Miller; case activity

Reckless Homicide and “Faith Healing” as Substitute for Medical Treatment 

Issues (Composed by On Point): 

1. Whether the “faith healing” defense in § 948.03(6) is limited to prosecutions for child abuse or extends to reckless homicide, § 940.06(1).

2.

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State v. Brent T. Novy, 2012 WI App 10, petition for review granted 6/13/12

on review of published decision; for Novy: Bridget E. Boyle; case activity

Rebuttal – Evidence Excluded from Case-in-Chief for Discovery Violation / Sleeping Juror 

Issues (Composed by On Point) caution: issue-identification necessarily speculative; check case activity link after briefs filed for verification of issues

1. a) Whether evidence ruled inadmissible during the State’s case-in-chief as a sanction for violating discovery rules is thereby rendered inadmissible at all stages,

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State v. Kenneth M. Sobczak, 2012 WI App 6, petition for review granted 6/13/12

on review of published decision; for: Sobczak: Andrew Hinckel, SPD, Madison Appellate; case activity

Third-Party Consent 

Issues (Composed by On Point): 

Whether Sobczak’s girlfriend, a non-resident guest in his parents’ home, had authority to consent to police entry into the home and to search and seizure of Sobczak’s laptop.

A mere guest ordinarily may not consent to a search of the home,

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Appellate Procedure: Waived Objection to Jury Instruction; Inaccuracy in Witness’s Accurate Criminal Record: Harmless Error; Defendant’s Right Not to Testify: Retrospective Hearing – State Satisfied Burden of Proof

State v. Joel Joseph Lobermeier, 2012 WI App 77 (recommended for publication); for Lobermeier: Andrea Taylor Cornwall, SPD, Milwaukee Appellate; case activity

Appellate Procedure – Waiver – Jury Instructions 

Failure to object to a jury instruction amounts to a failure to preserve for review an asserted objection, which must therefore be reviewed in the context of ineffective assistance of counsel. Nonetheless, failure to object to a “material variance”

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Felon-in-Possession, § 941.29 – Constitutionality

State v. Daniel Lee Rueden, Jr., 2011AP001034-CR, District 4, 6/7/12

court of appeals decision (not recommended for publication); for Rueden: Eileen A. Hirsch, Kaitlin A. Lamb, SPD; case activity

Felon-in-possession, § 941.29, is not unconstitutional either facially or as applied in this instance; State v. Pocian, 2012 WI App 58, deemed controlling.

¶6        We need not discuss the specifics of Rueden’s facial and as-applied challenges because,

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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.