2. Probable cause

court of appeals decision (1-judge, ineligible for publication); case activity State v. Andrew Wheaton, 2012AP173-CR Reasonable Suspicion – OWI Presence of the following factors establish reasonable suspicion to stop Wheaton for impaired driving: ¶23      The State points to the following as factors that produced an objectively reasonable suspicion of impaired driving at the time of the stop:  (1) Wheaton… Read more

State v. Marilee F. Devries, 2012 WI App 119 (recommended for publication); case activity Devries’ probation agent, after detecting alcohol on her breath during a visit at the probation office, had a law enforcement officer administer a preliminary breath test. One thing led to another and she was convicted of OWI. She challenges the PBT… Read more

State v. Timothy W. Bastian, 2012AP793-CR, District 3, 9/25/12 court of appeals decision (1-judge, ineligible for publication); case activity  The court holds, without resolving the issue of whether reasonable suspicion sufficed, that probable cause supported Bastian’s traffic stop for inattentive driving, given “the circuit court’s factual determination that Bastian was ‘looking towards the passenger seat’”: ¶10      Wisconsin Stat. § 346.89… Read more

State v. Portia M. Meyer, 2012AP206-CR, District 4, 9/20/12 court of appeals decision (1-judge, ineligible for publication); case activity Assuming that the police placed Meyer under arrest when handcuffing her and placing her in the back of a squad car following a traffic accident, they had probable cause to do so for failure to yield… Read more

State v. Christopher J. Felton, 2012 WI App 114 (recommended for publication); case activity Search & Seizure – PBT – Probable Cause  Notwithstanding that Felton passed field sobriety tests, probable cause existed to administer a preliminary breath test. ¶8        This section does not require that the officer have probable cause to arrest a driver for drunk… Read more

State v. Matthew Owen Hoff, Jr., 2011AP2096-CR, District 3, 6/26/12 court of appeals decision (1-judge, ineligible for publication); case activity ¶19      Here, before arresting Hoff, Gostovich observed him sleeping behind the wheel of a running car that was parked horizontally against the vertical parking stalls.  Hoff did not awake to Gostovich’s shouting or knocking.  When he finally awoke, he was… Read more

Marquette County v. Carl G. Culver, 2011AP1523, District 4, 6/21/12 court of appeals decision (1-judge, ineligible for publication); case activity The police had probable cause to arrest Culver, the driver in a one-car accident, given the smell of intoxicants on his breath and his “inconsistent answers” to questions about the accident: ¶13      We conclude, under the totality of… Read more