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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.

Briefs – Citing Unpublished Decisions – Generally

City of Sheboygan v. Steven Nytsch, 2006 WI App 191, PFR filed 9/11/06

For Nytsch: Chad A. Lanning

Issue/Holding: ¶18 n. 6:

…This court is not so naïve as to believe that unpublished opinions, whether one-judge opinions, per curiam opinions or authored opinions sit in a file serving as dinner for book lice. [A tiny, soft-bodied wingless psocoptera,

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Enlargement of Direct Appeal Deadline Based on Ineffective Assistance of Counsel – Habeas in Court of Appeals as Exclusive Mechanism

State ex rel. Luis Santana v. Endicott, 2006 WI App 13

Issue/Holding1: A claim that lapsed direct appeal rights should be restored on the basis of ineffective assistance of counsel must be sought via habeas filed in the court of appeals, pursuant to State v. Knight, 168 Wis. 2d 509, 484 N.W.2d 540 (1992):

¶1        … Although Santana may seek habeas relief on his ineffective assistance claim,

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Sentence Credit – Reconfinement and New Sentence, Concurrent

State v. Donald Odom, 2006 WI App 145
For Odom: Eileen Miller Carter; J.C. Moore, SPD, Milwaukee Trial

Issue/Holding: Odom is entitled to full sentence credit on both his reconfinement and new sentence, given that they are concurrent, ¶34:

(B)ecause Odom was sentenced on the same day to concurrent sentences for his revocation of extended release and the new burglary charge, he is entitled to dual credit.

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No-Merit Report – Client’s Options

State ex rel. Perry Van Hout v. Endicott, 2006 WI App 196, PFR filed 10/11/06
For Van Hout: Robert R. Henak

Issue/Holding:

¶23      Where a defendant has specifically directed counsel not to file a no-merit report after being advised of his or her options, counsel is not free to ignore the defendant’s direction. We discussed the nature of the attorney-client relationship in State v.

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Sentence Credit – Time Spent in Custody after Extended Supervision Revocation but before Reconfinement Hearing

State v. Lee Terrence Presley, 2006 WI App 82
For Presley: Richard D. Martin, SPD, Milwaukee Appellate

Issue/Holding:   Sentence credit is required for for days spent in jail between dates of revocation of extended supervision in an earlier case and sentencing on both the revoked supervision and a new case.

¶10      Presley submits that Beets requires sentence credit until the day he was sentenced for the extended supervision revocation—the same day he was sentenced on the new charge—because like the offender in Beets,

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Postconviction Motions – § 974.06, Serial Litigation Bar

State v. David R. Kaster, 2006 WI App 72, PFR filed 4/26/06; prior appeal: 2003 WI App 105
For Kaster: Robert R. Kaster

Issue/Holding:

¶9 Kaster next argues that the evidence was legally insufficient to sustain the disorderly conduct charge. …. Kaster has not demonstrated a “sufficient reason” under § 974.06(4) to overcome the fact that he failed to raise his challenge on direct appeal.

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Waiver (of Appellate Counsel) — By Conduct

State ex rel. Perry Van Hout v. Endicott, 2006 WI App 196, PFR filed 10/11/06
For Van Hout: Robert R. Henak

Issue: Whether Van Hout waived his right to appellate counsel where he rejected counsel’s offer of a no-merit report and then, after having been warned of the dangers of proceeding pro se, chose neither to open an envelope containing information counsel’s motion to withdraw nor to respond to the court of appeals order granting the motion.

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Waiver – Closing Argument – Failure to Move for Mistrial

State v. Nicole Schutte, 2006 WI App 135, PFR filed 7/21/06
For Schutte: Donald T. Lang, SPD, Madison Appellate

Issue/Holding: Failure to move for mistrial waived any objection to the prosecutor’s closing argument, ¶60. Nor do the comments rise to the level of plain error necessary to overcome waiver:

¶61      The State points out that, in denying Schutte’s motion for postconviction relief,

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Appellate Procedure – Waiver of Argument: Confrontation – Crawford Issue, Trial Held Before Crawford Decided

State v. Jeffrey Lorenzo Searcy, 2006 WI App 8
For Searcy: Joseph L. Sommers

Issue/Holding: Failure to raise a Crawford objection didn’t amount to waiver: “However, Searcy could not have raised at trial a Confrontation Clause claim based on Crawford v. Washington, 541 U.S. 36 (2004), because his December 2002 trial preceded the March 2004 Crawford decision by well over a year.

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Guilty Plea Waiver Rule – Generally, Exception for IAC Claim

 State v. Juan F. Milanes, 2006 WI App 259, PFR filed 12/7/06
For Milanes: Joan M. Boyd

Issue/Holding:

¶13      A valid guilty or no contest plea waives all nonjurisdictional defenses to a conviction, including constitutional violations. See State v. Riekkoff, 112 Wis. 2d 119, 122-23, 332 N.W.2d 744 (1983). One exception to this rule is the claim of ineffective assistance of counsel under the Sixth Amendment.

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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.