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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.

Plea-Withdrawal – Pre-sentence: Counsel’s Alleged Failure to Investigate Alibi

State v. Jonathan L. Franklin, 228 Wis.2d 408, 596 N.W.2d 855 (Ct. App. 1999) For Franklin: Archie E. Simonson. Holding: Franklin’s effort to withdraw his guilty plea, based on a claim that his attorney failed to investigate an alibi, is rebuffed. His attorney testified at a plea-withdrawal hearing that Franklin had already admitted that the […]

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Guilty Pleas – Post-Sentencing Plea Withdrawal: Discovery of Exculpatory Evidence

State v. Michael R. Sturgeon, 231 Wis.2d 487, 605 N.W.2d 589 (Ct. App. 1999) For Sturgeon: Terry Evan Williams. Issue/Holding: To prevail on a motion to withdraw guilty plea based on postplea discovery of exculpatory information, a defendant must prove (a) the existence of exculpatory evidence (b) in the exclusive control of the prosecution (c) […]

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§ 901.03, Objection/Offer of Proof – sufficiency – cite to applicable caselaw

State v. David C. Tutlewski, 231 Wis.2d 379, 605 N.W.2d 561 (Ct. App. 1999) For Tutlewski: Dianne M. Erickson Issue: Whether citation to relevant authority preserved an evidentiary objection. Holding: The issue was preserved by contemporaneous objection that included citation to relevant caselaw: ¶10     At trial and before Carver was permitted to testify, Tutlewski renewed […]

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Offer of Proof — Involuntary Intoxication — Need to Distinguish Right from Wrong

State v. David J. Gardner, 230 Wis. 2d 32, 601 N.W.2d 670 (Ct. App. 1999) For Gardner: Steven P. Weiss, SPD, Madison Appellate Holding: Gardner attempted to raise an involuntary intoxication defense, § 939.42(1), based on the effects of prescription medication. The trial court heard his offer of proof and barred his expert (psychiatrist) from […]

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§ 901.07, Completeness Doctrine — Trumping Hearsay Rule

State v. Gordon R. Anderson, Jr., 230 Wis.2d 121, 600 N.W.2d 913 (Ct. App. 1999) For Anderson: Craig M. Kuhary Issue: Whether the trial court erred, under the doctrine of completeness, in refusing to admit certain portions of Anderson’s statement to a detective. Holding: The completeness doctrine trumps the hearsay rule, and the trial court […]

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Relevance, § 904.01 – Association with Drug-involved Individual — Association with Motorcycle Gang

State v. Liliana Petrovic, 224 Wis.2d 477, 592 N.W.2d 238 (Ct. App. 1999). For Petrovic: Robert B. Rondini Issue/Holding: The court holds admissible the following evidence: defendant’s “close” connection to someone (Fooden) with whom an agent “was familiar … based on drug investigations he had performed for the IRS.” “The State’s evidence indicating a connection […]

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§ 904.01, Relevance – Consciousness of Guilt — Flight Three Days After Crime

State v. Earl L. Miller, 231 Wis.2d 447, 605 N.W.2d 567 (Ct. App. 1999) For Miller: Eduardo M. Borda Issue: Whether evidence of the defendant’s flight from police three days after the crime was admissible. Holding: “While not part of the original criminal episode, evidence of flight was admissible because it indicated Miller’s consciousness of […]

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§ 904.01, Relevance – Refusal, OWI

State v. Kurt J. Doerr, 229 Wis.2d 616, 599 N.W.2d 897 (Ct. App. 1999) For Doerr: John M. Carroll. Issue/Holding: Doerr argues that evidence of his refusal to take a chemical test was irrelevant, because it occurred at the police station rather than the arrest scene. The argument is rejected: Though refusal evidence is relevant to […]

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§ 904.01, Relevance – Hand-swabbing Results

State v. Andres DelReal, 225 Wis.2d 565, 593 N.W.2d 461 (Ct. App. 1999). For DelReal: Richard D. Martin, SPD, Milwaukee Appellate. Holding: At trial on shooting related charges, one detective testified that DelReal’s hands had been swabbed for gunshot residue (with unknown results), but the lead detective testified that he hadn’t. The trial court struck […]

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§ 904.01, Refusal, OWI – Deficient Breath Sample

State v. Rodney G. Zivcic, 229 Wis.2d 119, 598 N.W.2d 565 (Ct. App. 1999) For Zivcic: John J. Carter Holding: A “deficient sample” printout from an Intoxilyzer 5000 test is held admissible – not as a test result, but as Zivcic’s failure to provide adequate breath samples (which equals a refusal).

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