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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.

Expectation of Privacy — Hospital Emergency Room

State v. Melvin Thompson, 222 Wis. 2d 179, 585 N.W.2d 905 (Ct. App. 1998)
For Thompson: Phillip J. Brehm

Issue/Holding:

No published Wisconsin case has specifically addressed whether one has a reasonable expectation of privacy in a hospital emergency room or operating room. Accordingly, we analyze the question under the general approach for determining whether a person has a reasonable expectation of privacy in an area where evidence is gathered.

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Expectation of Privacy — Guest — Overstaying Welcome

Kelly L. McCray, 220 Wis. 2d 705, 583 N.W.2d 668 (Ct. App. 1998)
For McCray: Paul LaZotte

Issue/Holding: A guest who has exceeded his authorized stay loses any expectation of privacy in the residence

 

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Attempted Fraudulent Acquistion of Controlled Substance, § 961.43(1) — Sufficiency of Evidence

State v. Linda M. Henthorn, 218 Wis. 2d 526, 581 N.W.2d 544 (Ct. App. 1998)
For Henthorn: Michael Yovovich, SPD, Madison Appellate

Issue/Holding1:

In Hamiel v. State, 92 Wis.2d 656, 666, 285 N.W.2d 639, 646 (1979), the supreme court outlined the two requirements for proof of an attempted crime:

[I]t must … be shown that: (1) the defendant’s actions in furtherance of the crime clearly demonstrate,

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§ 940.10, Negligent Homicide — corporate liability

State v. Steenberg Homes, 223 Wis.2d 511, 589 N.W.2d 668 (Ct. App. 1998)

Holding: Corporations are subject to criminal liability under Wis. Stat. § 940.10

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§ 940.20(1), Battery by Prisoner — Elements — Sufficiency of Evidence

State v. Damone J. Block, 222 Wis. 2d 586, 587 N.W.2d 914 (Ct. App. 1998)
For Block: James M. Weber

Issue/Holding:

Block’s next claim is that there was insufficient evidence to prove all of the elements of assault by a prisoner. Those elements are: (1) the defendant was a prisoner at the time of the offense, (2) the victim was an employee of the institution,

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§ 940.32, Stalking – Sufficiency of Evidence

State v. Michael A. Sveum, 220 Wis. 2d 396, 584 N.W.2d 137 (Ct. App. 1998)
For Sveum: Robert T. Ruth

Issue/Holding:

Johnson received several hang-up telephone calls on April 16, 1996. Sveum told Walls that he made the calls, and Walls relayed this information to Johnson. When asked how the phone calls made her feel, Johnson testified: “Scared. It was happening again.” She also testified that she “was very afraid”

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Theft from Person, § 943.20(3)(e) – Element of “From the Person” – Property Taken from Person’s Wheelchair

State v. Sylvester Hughes, 218 Wis. 2d 538, 582 N.W.2d 49 (Ct. App. 1998)
For Hughes: Michael H. Kopp

Issue/Holding:

Accordingly, precisely because persons who use wheelchairs, and those who do not, deserve equal treatment and protection under the laws prohibiting theft,9 we conclude that theft “from the person” encompasses the taking of property from the wheelchair of one sitting in the wheelchair at the time of the taking.10

10 In this case,

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Forgery § 943.38(2) – Elements: Intent to Defraud not Element

State v. Daniel T. O’Shea, 221 Wis. 2d 418, 585 N.W.2d 662 (Ct. App. 1998)
For O’Shea: Jeffrey D. Knickmeier

Issue/Holding: Forgery, §.943.38(2), does not require that the offender act with intent to defraud.

Our first inquiry must be to the language of the statute, particularly to the language in subsection 2 that refers to subsection 1.  Subsection 2 states that an offender violates the subsection when he or she knowingly “utters … any forged writing or object mentioned in sub.

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Fraudulent Use of Transaction Card, § 943.41(5)(a)1.a – Elements: Actual Possession not Necessary

State v. Daniel T. O’Shea, 221 Wis. 2d 418, 585 N.W.2d 662 (Ct. App. 1998)
For O’Shea: Jeffrey D. Knickmeier

Issue/Holding:

Shea alleges that § 943.41(3), Stats., requires the State to prove that the offender acquired actual possession of a cardholder’s financial transaction card without consent. …

We begin with the language of § 943.41(5)(a), Stats., which reads as follows:

1.

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Harassment, §§ 947.013(1m)(b), (1r) — Sufficiency of Evidence — Act “Accompanied By” Credible Threat

State v. Michael A. Sveum, 220 Wis. 2d 396, 584 N.W.2d 137 (Ct. App. 1998)
For Sveum: Robert T. Ruth

Issue/Holding:

Sveum contends that the evidence was insufficient to prove that “[t]he act [was] accompanied by a credible threat.” The only threats alleged in this case occurred on October 16, 1994, when Sveum, among other things, threatened to “blow [Johnson’s] head off.” The harassing conduct at issue,

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