COURT OF APPEALS DECISION DATED AND FILED September 21, 2010 A.
John Voelker Acting Clerk of Court of Appeals |
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NOTICE |
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This opinion is subject to further editing.� If published, the official version will appear in the bound volume of the Official Reports.� A party may file with the Supreme Court a petition to review an adverse decision by the Court of Appeals.� See Wis. Stat. � 808.10 and Rule 809.62.� |
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Appeal No.� |
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STATE OF |
IN COURT OF APPEALS |
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DISTRICT III |
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State of ���������
Plaintiff-Respondent, ���� v. David W. Domke, ���������
Defendant-Appellant. |
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����������� APPEAL
from a judgment and an order of the circuit court for
����������� Before
�1������� PER CURIAM. David Domke appeals a judgment convicting him of repeated sexual assault of his step-daughter, Alicia.� He also appeals an order denying his postconviction motion in which he alleged ineffective assistance of trial counsel, Terrance Woods.� Because we conclude Woods performed deficiently in two respects,[1] the cumulative effect of which undermines our confidence in the outcome of the trial, we reverse the judgment and order and remand the matter for a new trial.
�2������� To establish ineffective assistance of counsel, Domke must
show deficient performance and prejudice to his defense.� See Strickland v.
�3������� One of the State�s witnesses, social worker Kim Rusch,
testified without objection regarding Alicia�s depiction of the sexual
assaults.� Rusch�s testimony was
inadmissible hearsay.� At the
postconviction hearing, Woods explained his belief that the testimony of a
therapist was admissible over a hearsay objection.� He was not aware that the exception for
medical diagnosis or treatment set out in Wis.
Stat. � 908.03(4) does not apply to a social worker. �
�4������� The State also contends Rusch�s testimony was admissible
under the rule of completeness.�
�5������� Rusch�s testimony was prejudicial not only in its repetition of Alicia�s allegations, but also due to Woods�s improvident questions on cross-examination.� Woods asked Rusch whether Alicia might have dreamed that she had been sexually assaulted.� Rusch responded, �No.� I do not believe it could have been a dream.�� Woods then asked a second time whether it might have been a dream.� Rusch responded, �No, in my professional opinion, it was not a dream.�� The trial court concluded Woods�s questions about a possible dream constituted a trial strategy that backfired.�
�6������� Appellate courts do not second guess a reasonable trial
strategy based on a full understanding of the law and facts.� However, we do second guess an attorney whose
performance is based on an irrational trial tactic or if it is exercised by professional
authority based upon caprice rather than upon judgment.� State v. Felton, 110
�7������� Woods�s more serious error consisted of calling Alicia�s
mother as a witness for the defense.�
Based on police reports, Woods believed she would support her husband
against her daughter�s allegations.�
However, before trial Domke informed Woods that his wife had been �vacillating
in that regard.�� Without interviewing
Domke�s wife, Woods called her as a witness.�
Rather than asking Alicia�s mother whether her daughter had a reputation
for truthfulness, Woods asked whether she believed Alicia�s claim of assault
when first made. �When Woods asked
Alicia�s mother if she had told the police that Alicia was not very truthful,
the prosecutor objected, citing State v. Haseltine, 120
�8������� The trial court concluded Woods performed deficiently when he called Alicia�s mother because he failed to reasonably investigate what her testimony would be.� The court concluded, however, that Domke�s defense was not prejudiced because this case boiled down to Alicia�s word against Domke�s, and the amount of detail Alicia provided strongly supported her testimony, making it unlikely her mother�s testimony affected the result.� We disagree.� Because the credibility of Alicia and Domke was the paramount issue in this case, our confidence in the outcome is undermined by the testimony of a witness who was close to both of them and who was impermissibly permitted to assess which of them was telling the truth.� The collective prejudice arising from Domke�s wife�s testimony and Rusch�s testimony requires a new trial due to Woods�s ineffective representation of Domke.
����������� By the Court.�Judgment and order reversed and cause remanded for further proceedings.
����������� This opinion will not be published.� See Wis. Stat. Rule 809.23(1)(b)5.
[1] Domke
alleged four instances of deficient performance by Woods.� We disagree with his assertions regarding two
of the issues.� First, Woods did not
perform deficiently and Domke was not prejudiced by Woods�s failure to object
to testimony from Alicia�s friend, Lauren, regarding Alicia�s first disclosure
that she had been sexually abused.�
Applying the criteria set out in State v. Sorenson, 143
We also conclude that Woods reasonably introduced into evidence the report by physician�s assistant Tracey BeFay.� Although Woods�s testimony at the postconviction hearing did not identify a reasonable strategic basis for introducing the report, his closing argument before the jury used the report to give an example of a prior inconsistent statement by Alicia.� We also disagree with Domke�s description of the testimony regarding that report as providing �inflammatory details� about the assaults.� The report and the testimony merely underscored the lack of physical evidence to support Alicia�s claims under circumstances where one would not expect physical evidence to support claims of oral sex or Domke rubbing himself against her buttocks.� Therefore, Domke established neither deficient performance nor prejudice from Woods�s introduction of the medical report.