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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.

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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Restitution — Law Enforcement as “Victim” — Damage to Squad during Pursuit

State v. Earl W. Haase, 2006 WI App 86, (State’s) PFR filed 5/17/06
For Haase: Glenn L. Cushing, SPD, Madison Appellate

Issue: Whether restitution may be ordered for damage caused to a squad car destroyed by fire during pursuit of the defendant.

Holding:  A governmental “agency must be a direct victim of the criminal conduct to be reimbursed for a loss,

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Judicial Estoppel Bar to Argument, General Principles

Olson v. Darlington Mutual Ins., 2006 WI App 204

Issue/Holding:

¶4        … The required elements of judicial estoppel are:

            First, the later position must be clearly inconsistent with the earlier position; second, the facts at issue should be the same in both cases; and finally, the party to be estopped must have convinced the first court to adopt its position—a litigant is not forever bound to a losing argument.

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Appellate Procedure: Standard of Review – Generally

State v. Justin D. Gudgeon, 2006 WI App 143, PFR filed 7/14/06
For Gudgeon: Jefren E. Olsen, SPD, Madison Appellate

Issue/Holding: Where the appellate court is positioned equally to review the matter, whether labeled one of fact or of law, no deference need be given the trial court:

¶19      … (T)his court is in just as good a position as the circuit court to answer that question.

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Restitution — Defenses — Set-Off (Civil Settlement)

Herr v. Bradley D. DeBraska, 2006 WI App 29

Issue/Holding1: Where the defendant and victim had fully settled a civil claim for defendant’s liability arising out of the crime, but the defendant’s wages were subsequently garnished by the State to satisfy the restitution order in the criminal case, the trial court properly exercised discretion to reopen the civil judgment, to determine whether the civil judgment should be offset against the restitution order,

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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.