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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.

Terry Frisk – Scope, Generally

State v. Martin D. Triplett, 2005 WI App 255
For Triplett: Syovata Edari, SPD, Milwaukee Appellate / Milwaukee Trial

Issue/Holding:

¶11      Despite the fact-specific nature of our analysis, we glean from the case law several useful guiding principles. First, an officer should confine his or her search “strictly to what [is] minimally necessary” to learn whether an individual is armed. Id. at 30.

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Consecutive Sentences – Sentence Consecutive to Future Revocation

State v. James E. Cole, 2000 WI App 52, 233 Wis. 2d 577, 608 N.W.2d 432

Issue: Whether a sentence can be ordered to run “consecutive to revocation” when the defendant’s parole has not yet been revoked.

Holding: A court has authority, under Wis. Stat. § 973.15(2)(a), to make the current sentence consecutive to a revocation of parole, even though the revocation has not yet occurred.

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Reasonable Suspicion – Frisk – Scope of Search

State v. Jose C. McGill, 2000 WI 38, 234 Wis. 2d 560, 609 N.W.2d 795, affirming unpublished decision
For McGill: Steven P. Weiss, SPD, Madison Appellate

Issue1: Whether seizing an object from the suspect’s pocket exceeded the permissible scope of a Terry frisk

Holding: Because the object’s size, shape and feel were consistent with a pocket knife; and the suspect lied to the officer about the nature of the object ,and was nervous and kept reaching for his pocket knife despite being told not to,

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Consecutive Sentences — Authority to Stay Sentence Until Release or Discharge on Ch. 980 Commitment

State v. David Carneal White, 2000 WI App 147, 237 Wis.2d 699, 615 N.W.2d 667
For White: Jeffrey A. Kingsley

Issue: Whether a court has authority to stay a sentence until the defendant is released or discharged from an otherwise unrelated Ch. 980 commitment.

Holding: The purposes of § 971.17 NGI and Ch. 980 SVP commitments being similar (¶¶8-9), the reasoning of State v.

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Warrants – Arrest Warrant as Authority to Enter of Third-Party Residence

State v. Antonion Blanco, Nora M. Al-Shammari, 2000 WI App 119, 237 Wis.2d 395, 614 N.W.2d 512
For Blanco: Michael P. Jakus

Issue: Whether an arrest warrant provided authority for the police to enter the residence of a third party and arrest the person named in the warrant.

Holding:

¶10 An arrest warrant authorizes the police to “enter the suspect’s residence to execute the warrant if there is reason to believe he will be found there;

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Warrants – No-Knock Authorization – Sufficiency of Showing of Danger

State v. Rayshun D. Eason, 2000 WI App 73, 234 Wis. 2d 396, 610 N.W.2d 208, affirmed in pertinent part, but reversed on other grounds2001 WI 98, ¶¶21-26
For Eason (in SCt): Suzanne Hagopian, SPD, Madison Appellate

Issue: Whether the no-knock warrant was supported by reasonable suspicion that announcing police presence would create danger.

Holding: The showing wasn’t sufficient to abrogate announcement: though the warrant noted the occupants’

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Warrants – Probable Cause – Drug Dealing Nexus to Dealer’s Residence

State v. Lance R. Ward, 2000 WI 3, 231 Wis.2d 723, 604 N.W.2d 517, reversing 222 Wis. 2d 311, 588 N.W.2d 645
For Ward: Daniel P. Dunn

Issue: Whether the search warrant established probable cause despite the absence of an explicit connection between the owner’s alleged drug dealing and his residence.

Holding: The supporting affidavit’s assertion that the defendant was a drug supplier “who lives on Rocye”

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Warrants – Scope of Authorized Search

State v. Kenneth M. Herrmann, 2000 WI App 38, 233 Wis. 2d 135, 608 N.W.2d 406
For Herrmann: Peter J. Morin

Issue: Whether officers executing a search warrant for Landis’s apartment exceeded the scope of the warrant when they entered and searched Herrmann’s separate residential unit on the same floor.

Holding: The officers neither knew nor had reason to know that there were two apartments on the floor being searched,

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Warrants – Scope of Authorized Search – Plain View – Computer Files

State v. Keith Schroeder, 2000 WI App 128, 237 Wis.2d 575, 613 N.W.2d 911
For Schroeder: Kevin D. Musolf

Issue/Holding: Inspection of child pornography on a computer, found during a warrant-authorized search of a computer for unrelated material, was in plain view so as to be subject to seizure without a separate warrant:

13            In order for the plain view doctrine to apply:  “(1) the evidence must be in plain view;

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Warrants – Scope of Authorized Search

State v. James H. Oswald, 2000 WI App 3, 232 Wis.2d 103, 606 N.W.2d 238
For Oswald: James L. Fullin, Jr., SPD, Madison Appellate

Issue: Whether a search of documents exceeded the scope of a warrant authorizing a search for currency, among other things.

Holding: Because the warrant authorized a search for currency, the officers were allowed to look through documents where bills could have been hidden,

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