State v. Heather L. Steinhardt, 2017 WI 62, 6/21/17, affirming a per curiam court of appeals opinion; case activity (including briefs) Steinhardt led her 12 year old daughter to her bedroom so that her husband (the child’s step father) could have sex with her. In fact, Steinhardt sat on the bed while the assault occurred. The… Read more
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State v. Lamont Donnell Sholar, 2016AP987, 6/20/17, District 1 (not recommended for publication), petition for review granted 10/17/17, affirmed, 2018 WI 53; case activity (including briefs) Sholar was charged with 5 counts of sex trafficking and 1 count of sexual assault. At trial, defense counsel allowed “Exhibit 79”–a 181-page report containing the contents of Sholar’s cell… Read more
State v. Tyshun DeMichael Young, 2016AP657-CR, 6/20/17, District 1; (not recommended for publication); case activity (including briefs) A jury convicted Young of attempted 1st-degree intentional homicide and 1st degree recklessly-endangering safety with use of a dangerous weapon. On appeal, he argued that the trial court should not have permitted the jury to hear evidence that… Read more
SCOTUS reinforces right to the assistance of a psychiatrist in preparing a defense to a capital case
McWilliams v. Dunn, USSC No. 16-5295, 2017 WL 2621324 (June 19, 2017), reversing McWilliams v. Dunn, 634 Fed.Appx. 698 (11th Cir. 2015); Scotusblog page (including links to briefs and commentary) A win for defendants in capital cases. Ake v. Oklahoma “clearly established” that when an indigent defendant demonstrates that his sanity at the time of the offense is… Read more
Charlotte Jenkins v. Percy Hutton, USSC No. 16-1116, 2017 WL 2621321 (June 19, 2017) (per curiam), reversing Hutton v. Mitchell, 839 F.3d 486 (2016)( 6th Cir. 2016); Scotusblog page (including links to briefs and commentary) Hutton filed a federal habeas petition challenging his death sentence on the grounds that the jury at the penalty phase of… Read more
Virginia v. Dennis LeBlanc, USSC No. 16-1177, 2017 WL 2507375 (June 12, 2017), reversing LeBlanc v. Mathena, 841 F.3d 256 (4th Cir. 2016); Scotusblog page (including links to briefs and commentary) Although this is a per curiam decision and it’s decided under the rubric of federal habeas review, the upshot of this opinion is that states… Read more
State v. Jesse T. Riemer, 2017 WI App 48; case activity (including briefs) In what appears to be the first case of its kind, the court of appeals addresses the standard for reviewing the sentence imposed on a member of the Wisconsin National Guard after he was convicted of various offenses. Concluding it should apply the same… Read more
Marquette County v. Matthew J. Owens, 2016AP2176, District 4, 6/15/17 (one-judge decision; ineligible for publication); case activity (including briefs) Owens argues that a police officer’s driving was so careless or unlawful that it required Owens to react in a way that created reasonable suspicion to stop him. Not so, says the court of appeals. The… Read more
