COURT OF APPEALS DECISION DATED AND FILED July 29, 2008 David R. Schanker Clerk of Court of Appeals |
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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 WISCONSIN |
IN COURT OF APPEALS |
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DISTRICT III |
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State of
Plaintiff-Respondent, v. Terez Lamar Cook,
Defendant-Appellant. |
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APPEAL
from a judgment of the circuit court for
Before
¶1 PER CURIAM. Terez Cook appeals a judgment, entered upon a jury’s verdicts, convicting him of armed robbery, armed burglary, battery, theft of moveable property, mistreatment of an animal resulting in death and three counts of false imprisonment, all counts as a repeater and as party to a crime. Cook argues the trial court erred by admitting: (1) Cook’s statements to police; (2) DNA evidence; and (3) witness testimony regarding Cook’s identification in a photo lineup. Cook also claims he was denied the effective assistance of trial counsel and is otherwise entitled to a new trial on grounds of newly discovered evidence. We reject these arguments and affirm the judgment.
Background
¶2 An Information charged Cook with armed robbery, armed burglary, battery, theft of moveable property, mistreatment of an animal resulting in death and three counts of false imprisonment, all as a repeater and as party to a crime. The charges arose from allegations that Cook burglarized the residence of Margaret and Jim Harper, stealing speakers, an amplifier, and ninety-one dollars. The Information additionally alleged that during the course of the burglary, Cook kicked Jim and shot the Harpers’ dog, resulting in its death. After a trial, the jury found Cook guilty of the crimes charged. Cook was convicted upon the jury’s verdicts and the court imposed consecutive and concurrent sentences totaling fifty-eight years, consisting of forty years’ initial confinement and eighteen years’ extended supervision. This appeal follows.
Discussion
A. Claims of Trial Court Error
¶3 Cook argues the trial court erred by admitting: (1) Cook’s statements to police; (2) DNA
evidence; and (3) witness testimony regarding Cook’s identification in a photo
lineup. The State contends that Cook did
not object to the admission of these matters at trial. The State properly notes that issues not
preserved in the trial court are waived on appeal. See
Terpstra
v. Soiltest, Inc., 63
B. Ineffective Assistance of Counsel
¶4 Cook nevertheless raises his claims of trial court error
under the guise of ineffective assistance of trial counsel. See
State
v. Carprue, 2004 WI 111, ¶47, 274
¶5 Here, Cook failed to file a postconviction motion requesting
a Machner
hearing in the trial court. However,
even had Cook filed the motion, his ineffective assistance claim fails on the
merits. “The benchmark for judging
whether counsel has acted ineffectively is stated in Strickland v.
Washington, 466 U.S. 668 (1984).”
State v. Johnson, 153
¶6 In order to establish deficient performance, a defendant must
show that “counsel made errors so serious that counsel was not functioning as
the ‘counsel’ guaranteed the defendant by the Sixth Amendment.”
¶7 The prejudice prong of the Strickland test is
satisfied where the attorney’s error is of such magnitude that there is a
reasonable probability that, absent the error, the result of the proceeding
would have been different.
¶8 First,
Cook argues trial counsel was ineffective by failing to move the court for
suppression of his statements to police.
We are not persuaded. At trial,
officers testified that when Cook was arrested and taken to the Sheboygan
Police Department, he was given and waived his Miranda[1]
rights. The interview was terminated
when Cook stated that he did not want to talk further. The next day, while being transported to the
Marinette County Sheriff’s Department, Cook re-initiated discussion with the
officers about the crime by asking if he was going to be charged. The officers told Cook they could not discuss
the matter without first giving Cook his Miranda rights. Cook was consequently re-read his
rights. Cook waived his rights and was
told that he had not yet been charged.
¶9 Upon
arrival at the Marinette County Sheriff’s Department, the interrogation
continued without giving Cook Miranda rights. Cook stated that he had been in
¶10
(1) The original interrogation was promptly terminated. (2) The interrogation was resumed only after the passage of a significant period of time. (3) The suspect was given complete Miranda warnings at the outset of the second interrogation. (4) A different officer resumed the questioning. (5) The second interrogation was limited to a crime that was not the subject of the earlier interrogation.
Hartwig, 123
¶11 To the extent Cook intimates that he should have been read his Miranda
rights for a third time upon arrival at the Marinette County Sheriff’s
Department, Cook provides no authority for the proposition that a suspect must
be given his rights every few hours.
Moreover, our supreme court has recognized that “where the Miranda
rights were properly administered and where there was then a break in the
interrogation, under the totality of the circumstances, it was not necessary to
re-administer the Miranda warnings when it was undisputed that the defendant
understood them.” Grennier v. State, 70
¶12 Cook also mentions, without citation to authority, that “[t]he
concern is … also whether … he was prejudiced by the jury being made aware of
the defendant’s decision to remain silent.”
This court declines to consider arguments that are unexplained,
undeveloped or unsupported by citation to authority. M.C.I., Inc. v. Elbin, 146
¶13 Ultimately, we conclude that even if counsel was deficient for
failing to challenge the admission of Cook’s statements, their admission was
harmless. See State v. Harvey, 2002 WI 93, ¶49, 254
¶14 Second, Cook argues counsel was ineffective for failing to
object to the admission of DNA evidence—specifically, that Cook’s DNA matched
that found on a cigarette butt retrieved from the getaway car. Cook claims that he was prejudiced by disclosure
of the DNA results “after the trial had started.” The State, however, contends Cook knew well
before trial that his DNA had been matched to the cigarette butt. In fact, during opening statements, defense
counsel told the jury that this fact was admitted, but that Cook smoked the
cigarette in the car a week or two before the crime. Because Cook does not refute the State’s
claim, it is deemed admitted. See Charolais Breeding Ranches, Ltd., 90
¶15 Third, Cook claims that counsel was ineffective for failing to elicit testimony from Jessica Babic and Ashley Sadowski regarding their respective photo identifications of Cook. At trial, two officers testified as to their firsthand observations during the photo identification. Cook does not explain how he was prejudiced by the officers’ testimony but, nevertheless, intimates that Babic and Sadowski should have been examined regarding the photo identifications. At trial, both Babic and Sadowski identified Cook as one of the two perpetrators. The State contends that additional testimony by Babic and Sadowski regarding Cook’s identification would only have served to strengthen the witnesses’ in-court identification of Cook. We agree and conclude that counsel’s performance in this regard, even if deficient, did not result in prejudice.
¶16 Fourth, Cook argues counsel should have asked for a continuance in order to secure the attendance of David Hall, the man Cook claims replaced him in the crime. To support this defense theory, counsel emphasized Hall’s resemblance to Cook by introducing a photo of Hall and questioning witnesses about Hall’s general appearance. Counsel further elicited testimony regarding Hall’s connection with Egerson and his appearance near the scene of the crime. Cook therefore fails to establish how he was prejudiced by the absence of Hall at trial. As the State aptly points out, “it defies credulity to suggest that Hall, in a Perry Mason moment, would have proclaimed his own guilt and exonerated Cook.”
¶17 Finally, Cook claims counsel should have moved for a change of
venue because of Cook’s race. Cook,
however, does not develop this argument and provides no citation to authority
in support of his claim. We will not
develop an appellant’s amorphous and unsupported arguments for him. See
Barakat
v. DHSS, 191
C. New Trial on Grounds of Newly Discovered Evidence
¶18 Cook claims he is entitled to a new trial in the interest of
justice, but then proceeds to argue his claim under the standard for newly discovered
evidence. In State v. Coogan, 154
(1) the evidence was discovered after trial; (2) the defendant was not negligent in seeking evidence; (3) the evidence is material to an issue; (4) the evidence is not merely cumulative to the evidence presented at trial; and (5) a reasonable probability exists of a different result in a new trial.
¶19 The State argues that Cook has failed to establish that this evidence is material and not otherwise cumulative to the evidence presented at trial. Cook concedes that all of the evidence has not been fully reviewed but, nevertheless, claims some of the evidence raises “issues about Sadowski’s relationship with … Egerson,” thus affecting Sadowski’s credibility. Cook also contends, without more, that evidence of phone records “may” provide an alibi defense. Cook’s claims are merely speculative and fail to establish a reasonable probability of a different result. We therefore reject Cook’s request for a new trial.
By the Court.—Judgment affirmed.
This opinion will not be published. See Wis. Stat. Rule 809.23(1)(b)5.