Questions presented: 1. Whether the Michigan Supreme Court’s recognition that a state statute abolished the long-maligned diminished-capacity defense was an “unexpected and indefensible” change in a common-law doctrine of criminal law under this Court’s retroactivity jurisprudence. See Rogers v. Tennessee, 532 U.S. 451 (2001). 2. Whether the Michigan Court of Appeals’ retroactive application of the… Read more
13. Due Process
State v. Jacob Turner, 2013 WI App 23; case activity Addressing an unusual set of facts, the court of appeals holds Turner’s constitutional rights to an impartial jury and due process were not violated by the seating of a juror who had not been summoned for service and who did not disclose that to the… Read more
Racine County v. Renee D., 2012AP1974, District 2, 2/20/13; court of appeals decision (1-judge, ineligible for publication); case activity Wis. Stat. § 48.415(5) is not unconstitutionally vague and does not violate due process As applied to Renee D., the two elements for the “child abuse” ground under § 48.415(5) are: 1) the parent has shown a… Read more
Question presented: Whether or under what circumstances the Fifth Amendment’s Self-Incrimination Clause protects a defendant’s refusal to answer law enforcement questioning before he has been arrested or read his Miranda rights. Lower court opinion (Salinas v. State, 369 S.W.3d 176 (Tex. Crim. App. 2012)) Docket Scotusblog page This case could have a significant impact on… Read more
State v. Alexander Jerome Wiley, 2012AP71-CR, District 1, 12/11/12 court of appeals decision (3 judge; not recommended for publication); case activity Wiley, a co-defendant in a reckless homicide case, moved the circuit court to exclude the in-court identification testimony of an eyewitness to the crime who had picked Wiley out of a photo array. He argued that… Read more
Robert Dietrich v. Smith, 7th Cir No. 12-1672, 12/4/12 seventh circuit decision, on habeas review, affirming 2011C117 (E.D. Wis 2/23/12); prior history: State v. Dietrich, Wis. App. 2008AP1697-CR After the trial court denied his request for an in camera inspection of the sexual assault victim’s mental health records, State v. Green, 2002 WI 68, ¶34, 253 Wis. 2d… Read more
State v. Darryl J. Badzinski, 2011AP2905-CR, District 1, 11/27/12; court of appeals decision (not recommended for publication), petition for review granted 4/18/13; reversed, 2014 WI 6; case activity Complaint – Adequate Notice (Child Sexual Assault) – Waived Objection Badzinski waived his objection to the complaint – counsel conceded, at a motion to dismiss because of vagueness, that the… Read more
State v. Bradley S. Johnson, Outagamie Co. Circ. Ct. No. 12CM495 circuit court decision; case activity Panhandling prosecution under § 947.02(4) is dismissed with prejudice because the vagrancy statute is unconstitutional under first amendment analysis: panhandling (“begging”) is a form of protected speech and its criminalization under § 947.02(4) is fatally vague and overbroad. State v. Starks, 51 Wis.2d 256… Read more
