State v. Peter Joseph Idell, 2024AP2230, District I, 6/17/25 (one-judge decision; ineligible for publication); case activity The COA holds that an odor of intoxicants and the driver’s 2009 conviction for OWI established reasonable suspicion to extend stop for expired license plates to investigate OWI. A West Allis police officer stopped Peter Idell for driving a… Read more
2. Traffic stops
State v. Timothy J. Petrie, 2024AP2629-CR, 6/11/25, District 2, (1-judge opinion, ineligible for publication); case activity (including briefs) Petrie argued the officer lacked probable cause to perform a preliminary breath test (PBT), therefore all evidenced gathered afterward must be suppressed. On appeal, he contends that the circuit court improperly applied the independent source doctrine because… Read more
City of West Bend v. Logan Patrick Lang, 2024AP2559, District II, 6/4/25 (one-judge decision; ineligible for publication); case activity COA affirms the circuit court’s order denying Lang’s suppression motion. Lang did not challenge the initial stop, but argued that the officer lacked reasonable suspicion to extend the stop for field sobriety tests. At the suppression… Read more
State v. Jonah Michael Hoffman, 2024AP1221-CR, 4/24/25, District IV (1-judge decision, ineligible for publication); case activity The sole issue on appeal is whether the deputy who arrested Hoffman had probable cause to search his truck for evidence of an open container. COA concludes that probable cause was lacking, and accordingly reverses and remands with directions… Read more
State v. Natalie S. Lozano, 2024AP1540-CR & 2024AP1541-CR, 4/9/25, District II (1-judge decision, ineligible for publication); case activity In yet another appeal hinging on the requirement that a license plate be “legible,” COA affirms based on its deference to the circuit court’s factual findings. Lozano appeals an order denying her motion to suppress and renews… Read more
State v. Danny Thomas McClain, Jr., 2024AP8, 4/8/25 District I (one-judge decision; ineligible for publication); case activity (including briefs) COA affirms the circuit court’s order denying suppression of the evidence (field sobriety tests and preliminary breathalyzer tests), finding that police had reasonable suspicion to extend a traffic stop to investigate the defendant for additional criminal… Read more
State v. Tobin J. Jagla, 2023AP2311-CR, 3/18/25, District III (not recommended for publication); case activity COA affirms circuit court’s order denying Tobin Jagla’s motion to suppress where police stopped the vehicle he was driving after an officer determined the registered owner of the vehicle did not have a Wisconsin driver’s license. Although officer learned during… Read more
State of Wisconsin v. Alex Mark Hagen, 2024AP1180, 3/6/25 District IV (one-judge decision; ineligible for publication); case activity COA reversed the circuit court’s order suppressing evidence of field sobriety tests and their fruits, finding that police had reasonable suspicion to extend a traffic stop to investigate the defendant for operating a vehicle while intoxicated. A… Read more
