State v. Jonathan Phillips, 2010AP1490, District 4, 4/26/12 court of appeals decision (not recommended for publication); for Phillips: Steven D. Grunder, SPD, Madison Appellate; case activity; originally recommended for publication, changed per order 5/1/12 Although admittedly “inconsistent” in the way it defines “mental disorder,” when read “as a whole,” the pattern jury instruction for ch. 980… Read more
e. Jury instructions/verdict
State v. Paschall Lee Sanders, 2011 WI App 125 (recommended for publication); for Sanders: Ellen Henak, SPD, Milwaukee Appellate; case activity The definitions of “mental disorder” in since-amended pattern instruction Wis JI—Criminal 2502 (2009), though concededly contradictory, didn’t prevent from being tried the issue of whether Sanders qualified for commitment as a sexually violent person: ¶14 As we… Read more
court of appeals decision (3-judge, not recommended for publication); for Oliver: Steven D. Phillips, SPD, Madison Appellate; BiC; Resp. Br.; Reply Br. SVP – Evidence 1. Unobjected-to testimony by a state evaluator that DHS psychologists are more “conservative” in their conclusions than other SVP experts did not “cloud” the issue and therefore did not support… Read more
State v. Barry L. Smalley, 2007 WI App 219, PFR filed 10/19/07 For Smalley: Donald T. Lang, SPD, Madison Appellate Issue/Holding: “(T)he phrase ‘more likely than not’ in the statute means what it says: that an event is more likely to occur than not to occur; that is, has a greater than 50% chance of happening. Thus… Read more
State v. Joseph A. Lombard, 2004 WI App 52, PFR filed 3/19/04 For Lombard: David Karpe Issue: Whether, in response to a jury question during deliberations in this SVP discharge trial, the trial court was obligated to instruct that if Lombard were discharged he would still be subject to 40 years of probation / parole… Read more
State v. Jesse J. Madison, 2004 WI App 46, PFR filed 3/12/04 For Madison: Charles B. Vetzner, SPD, Madison Appellate Issue/Holding: ¶5. Alternatively, Madison argues that he has a constitutional right, on equal protections grounds, to a special verdict. See Wis. Const. art. I, § 1. This equal protection argument stems from an alleged disparate application of special verdicts… Read more
State v. Jesse J. Madison, 2004 WI App 46, PFR filed 3/12/04For Madison: Charles B. Vetzner, SPD, Madison Appellate Issue/Holding: ¶3. Madison first claims that he has a statutory right to a special verdict under Wis. Stat.§ 805.12(1). See State v. Rachel, 224 Wis. 2d 571, 575, 591 N.W.2d 920 (Ct. App. 1999) (Wis. Stat. ch. 980 proceedings are… Read more
State v. John Lee Laxton, 2002 WI 82, affirming unpublished court of appeals decision (Affirmed on habeas review, John L. Laxton v. Bartow, 421 F.3d 565 (7th Cir 2005)) For Laxton: Margaret A. Maroney, SPD, Madison Appellate Issue: Whether ch. 980 is unconstitutional by failing to adequately narrow the class of commitment subjects to those with serious difficulty controlling… Read more
