State v. Peter C. Ramuta, 2003 WI App 80, PFR filed 4/3/03
For Ramuta: Peter M. Koneazny, Richard D. Martin, SPD, Milwaukee Appellate
¶21. Further, Ramuta’s obesity-related health problems and his resulting shorter-than-normal life expectancy are also not new factors. See Michels, 150 Wis. 2d at 99-100, 441 N.W.2d at 280-281 (defendant’s health and its post-sentence worsening not new factors). Ramuta not only knew about his condition when he appeared before the trial court in Milwaukee, but, contrary to his contention, the trial court’s sentencing comments do not envision either its expectation or desire that Ramuta would actually survive his confinement; the trial court merely wanted to assure, as it explained in its written decision denying Ramuta’s motion for postconviction relief, that Ramuta, if released, would no longer be able to terrorize the community:
The court was fully aware that the defendant would be age 76 at the end of initial confinement and age 90 at the end of extended supervision. The court specifically intended the defendant to be too old to terrorize the community before he would ever be released, and it specifically noted that previous long periods of confinement were ineffective to provide deterrence.
(Trial court’s references to the sentencing transcript omitted.) Ramuta’s obesity is not a “new factor.”
