On Point

State v. Kevin S. Meehan, 2001 WI App 119
For Meehan: Pamela Moorshead, Buting & Williams

Issue: Whether a prior sexual assault of an adult was sufficiently similar to the charged sexual assault of a child to be admissible as other crimes evidence.
Holding:

¶14. The next step is whether the 1992 conviction was relevant; that is, whether under Wis. Stat. § 904.01, it relates to a fact or proposition that is of consequence to the determination of the action and if it has probative value.

State v. Juan M. Navarro, 2001 WI App 225
For Navarro: Joseph M. Moore, SPD Trial, Juneau

Issue: Whether the trial court is required to conduct an in camera inspection of confidential records of the complaining witness, a correctional officer, relating to his possible abusive treatment of inmates, in a battery-by-prisoner trial where the defendant alleges self-defense.

Holding: The trial court’s denial of in camera inspection without first conducting an evidentiary hearing on materiality was erroneous: Access may not be denied simply because the records aren’t within the state’s possession;

State v. Terrance W. Walther, 2001 WI App 23, 240 Wis. 2d 619, 623 N.W.2d 205
For Walther: Raymond M. Dall’Osto, Kathryn A. Keppel

Issue: Whether the defendant’s motion for in camera inspection of the child sexual assault complainant’s confidential records should have been granted.

Holding:

¶11 Here, Walther established more than the mere possibility that the requested records ‘may be necessary to a fair determination of guilt or innocence.’

State v. Earl Steele III, 2001 WI App 34, 241 Wis. 2d 269, 625 N.W.2d 595
For Steele: Timothy J. Gaskell

Issue: Whether felon in possession of firearm may be the underlying felony to burglary (entry with intent to commit felony), § 943.10(1)(a), when the defendant-felon was already in possession of the firearm before entry.

Holding: “(A) person commits a burglary when he or she unlawfully enters the premises with the intent to commit a felony while on the premises,

State v. Earl Steele, 2001 WI App 34, 241 Wis. 2d 269, 625 N.W.2d 595
For Steele: Timothy J. Gaskell

Issue: Whether the colloquy on a guilty plea to burglary/intent-to-commit-felony must apprise the defendant of the specific felony.

Holding:

¶8                        The trial court chose to summarize WIS. STAT. § 943.10 during colloquy, in combination with questioning defense counsel.  Steele contends that this summary was inadequate,

State v. Tyren E. Black, 2001 WI 31, 242 Wis. 2d 126, 624 N.W.2d 363, reversing unpublished court of appeals decision
For Black: Michael S. Holzman

Issue: Whether the trial court properly found a factual basis for the guilty plea, by relying solely on the criminal complaint, where extraneous information put one of the elements in doubt.

Holding:

¶14. In essence, Black urges us to overturn this rule and find that a circuit court cannot find a factual basis for a plea in the complaint alone.

State v. Larry J. Sprosty, 2001 WI App 231, PFR filed
For Sprosty: Jack E. Schairer, SPD, Madison Appellate

Issue:: Whether an expert witness’s testimony should have been struck retrospectively when it became known, after the proceeding had concluded, that he had lied about his credentials and background.

Holding:

¶33. We cannot conclude that the circuit court’s refusal to strike Thomalla’s testimony was improper.

State v. Jeremy J. Byrge, 2000 WI 101, 237 Wis. 2d 197, 614 N.W.2d 477, affirming as modified State v. Byrge, 225 Wis. 2d 702, 594 N.W.2d 388
For Byrge: Steven P. Weiss, SPD, Madison Appellate

Issue: “(W)hether a circuit court, before accepting a plea of guilty or no contest [to a crime punishable by life imprisonment], must inform a defendant that it possesses the authority to fix the parole eligibility date.”

State v. Anthony A. Parker, 2001 WI App 111

Issue: Whether transfer to an out-of-state prison is a collateral consequence of a guilty plea.

Holding:

¶8. In addition, we agree with the State that transfer to an out-of-state prison is a collateral consequence of Parker’s plea of no contest….

¶9. We have held that collateral consequences include deportation, restitution, subsequent filing of a sexually violent person petition,

State v. William Nielsen, 2001 WI App 192, PFR filed
For Nielsen: Waring R. Fincke

Issue/Holding:

¶31. The privilege against self-incrimination is guaranteed by art. I, § 8, of the Wisconsin Constitution and by the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution. State v. Adams, 221 Wis. 2d 1, 7, 584 N.W.2d 695 (Ct. App. 1998). The use of a defendant’s silence for impeachment purposes has been long decided.