State v. Michael C. Christofferson, 2012AP571-CR, District 3, 10/30/12 court of appeals decision (1-judge, ineligible for publication); case activity The officer didn’t develop probable cause (for OWI arrest; Christofferson was getting out of his car when the officer first saw him) until after illegal entry of the attached garage, therefore the ensuing arrest was unlawful… Read more
C. Warrant unnecessary
State v. Pamela L. Hammersley, 2012AP1131-CR, District 2, 9/26/12 court of appeals decision (1-judge, ineligible for publication); case activity Stop of vehicle, assertedly for violating local trespassing ordinance, held not supportable: ¶3 It is settled law that a stop cannot be based on an officer’s mistaken understanding of the law. State v. Longcore, 226 Wis. 2d 1… Read more
Question Presented: Whether a law enforcement officer may obtain a nonconsensual and warrantless blood sample from a drunk driver under the exigent circumstances exception to the Fourth Amendment warrant requirement based upon the natural dissipation of alcohol in the bloodstream. Docket Lower court opinion (State v. McNeely, 358 S.W.3d 65 (Mo. Banc 2012)) Scotusblog page Does the evanescent quality… Read more
Village of Menomonee Falls v. Timothy E. Rotruck, 2012AP1024-FT, District 2, 9/1, District 2, 9/19/12 court of appeals decision (1-judge, ineligible for publication); case activity Concededly proper traffic stop; after citations issued, officer sought and obtained consent to search vehicle, resulting in seizure of contraband – court concludes that, under the circumstances, traffic stop had… Read more
State v. Jason M. Jacobs, 2012 WI App 104 (recommended for publication); case activity Search & Seizure – Consent – Blood Draw Following a fatal traffic accident, Jacobs performed field sobriety tests well enough that he wasn’t placed under arrest, but he was asked to submit to a blood draw. Jacobs called his attorney, who advised him… Read more
on review of published decision; for: Sobczak: Andrew Hinckel, SPD, Madison Appellate; case activity Third-Party Consent Issues (Composed by On Point): Whether Sobczak’s girlfriend, a non-resident guest in his parents’ home, had authority to consent to police entry into the home and to search and seizure of Sobczak’s laptop. A mere guest ordinarily may not consent to a… Read more
State v. James Ralph Whitwell, 2011AP1342-CR, District 3/4, 5/24/12 court of appeals decision (not recommended for publication); for Whitwell: Jefren E. Olsen, Chandra N. Harvey, SPD, Madison Appellate; case activity Whitwell challenges a warrantless blood draw, on related grounds: he objected at the time, informing officials that he suffered from a medical condition that made… Read more
on review of unpublished court of appeals decision; for Gracia: Tracey A. Wood; case activity Warrantless Entry – Community Caretaker / OWI Enhancer – Collateral Attack Issues (Composed by On Point): Whether the community caretaker doctrine supported entry into Gracia’s bedroom after the police linked him to a serious traffic accident. Whether Gracia’s waiver of counsel in a prior… Read more
