COURT OF APPEALS DECISION DATED AND FILED July 7, 2010 David
R. Schanker 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. |
2009AP340-CR |
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STATE OF WISCONSIN |
IN COURT OF APPEALS |
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DISTRICT II |
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State of Plaintiff-Respondent, v. Corey A. Sadowski, Defendant-Appellant. |
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APPEAL
from judgments and an order of the circuit court for
Before
Neubauer, P.J.,
¶1 PER CURIAM. Corey A. Sadowski has appealed from judgments convicting him of
one count of the repeated sexual assault of the same child in violation of Wis.
¶2 The sexual assault conviction was based upon evidence that on three occasions between March 1 and October 31, 1999, Sadowski sexually assaulted Holly A.H., the nine-year-old daughter of Sadowski’s live-in girlfriend at the time. The physical abuse convictions were based upon evidence that during this same time period, Sadowski struck Holly and her younger sister, Amanda S.H., with a hockey stick.
¶3 At trial, Holly testified regarding three incidents that led to the sexual assault charge. She testified that the first incident occurred in the bedroom Sadowski shared with her mother. She testified that she was clothed and that Sadowski had her get into bed with him, took off his pants, and made her move her hand and then her mouth up and down on his erect penis. She testified that Sadowski also rubbed his penis over her vaginal area.
¶4 Holly also testified regarding another incident (the second incident) in which Sadowski had her sit next to him on the couch while he turned a pornographic show on television, and then rubbed her vaginal area over her clothes. Finally, she testified concerning an incident that occurred when Sadowski made her take a shower with him after doing yard work (the third incident), rubbing soap over her body and groping her breasts, vagina and “butt.”
¶5 Sadowski’s first argument on appeal is that the trial court erred when it allowed the prosecutor to refresh Holly’s memory regarding the second incident when she had not testified to insufficient recollection of the incident, and had instead testified that no sexual contact occurred. He relies on Wis. Stat. § 908.03, providing:
The following are not excluded by the hearsay rule, even though the declarant is available as a witness:
….
(5) Recorded Recollection. A memorandum or record concerning a matter about which a witness once had knowledge but now has insufficient recollection to enable the witness to testify fully and accurately, shown to have been made when the matter was fresh in the witness’s memory and to reflect that knowledge correctly.
¶6 In Harper, Drake & Assocs., Inc. v. Jewett & Sherman Co., 49 Wis. 2d 330, 342, 182 N.W.2d 551 (1971), the Wisconsin Supreme Court explained the difference between the doctrine of present recollection refreshed and the hearsay exception for past recollection recorded:
Under the doctrine of present recollection refreshed, a witness may look at a writing to refresh his [or her] memory and then testify in his [or her] own words as to the contents of the writing. Before this is allowed, however, the witness must be able to state, after looking at the writing, that he [or she] now recalls the facts therein on the basis of his [or her] own independent (although refreshed) recollection. If a witness can state that he [or she] has such an independent recollection, then he may testify to the facts in the writing and his [or her] testimony—not the writing itself—is admitted to evidence.
If, on the other hand, a witness looks at a writing and it does not revive or refresh his [or her] memory to the extent that he [or she] can claim an independent recollection of the facts therein—then and only then—the writing itself and not the witness’ testimony may come into evidence. This second situation (where he [or she] has no independent recall) is governed by the rule of past recollection recorded. (Footnote omitted.)
¶7 Based upon these standards and the testimony at trial, it is clear that Holly’s testimony was properly admitted under the doctrine of present recollection refreshed. In response to the prosecutor’s question as to whether a second incident occurred between March and October 1999, Holly testified that Sadowski put pornography on the television and told her to sit next to him on the couch. The prosecutor asked Holly whether anything happened while she sat next to Sadowski on the couch and Holly said “no.” The prosecutor then asked: “Did you report previous to today anything happening while the porn was on the television?” and Holly replied, “I don’t remember.” The prosecutor then asked Holly whether she recalled testifying previously in this matter and she said, “Yes.” Holly also replied affirmatively when the prosecutor asked her whether it would be fair to say that her memory at that hearing would have been more recent and more fresh than it was at present, and whether it would help refresh her recollection if the prosecutor showed her a transcript of her testimony at that hearing.
¶8 The trial court overruled Sadowski’s objection that there was no foundation for refreshing Holly’s recollection. The prosecutor then again asked Holly whether she remembered “anything else happening during that incident besides the pornography on the television,” and Holly replied that she did not remember. Holly then testified that she remembered testifying about this incident previously, and that it would help refresh her recollection regarding the incident if she was shown her testimony from the previous hearing. The prosecutor then gave Holly a page to review from the preliminary hearing transcript. Holly stated that she remembered giving that testimony. When asked whether reviewing the testimony now had refreshed her recollection as to her prior testimony, Holly answered “yes.” She also testified that she had no reason to be lying at that hearing, and that based upon refreshing her recollection with the transcript, she now recalled what she had told them had happened during the pornography incident. When asked what happened, Holly replied that Sadowski touched and rubbed her vagina over her clothes while watching the television.
¶9 This record establishes that the prosecutor did not give
Holly the transcript for review until Holly testified that she did not remember
whether anything else had happened during the pornography-viewing incident and
that reviewing her prior testimony would help refresh her recollection. The record also establishes that, after
reviewing her prior testimony, Holly testified from her refreshed memory and independent
recollection of what happened when she sat next to Sadowski on the couch while
watching the pornographic movie.
Consequently, the trial court properly exercised its discretion when it
admitted the testimony.[2]
¶10 Sadowski’s next argument on appeal is that he was entitled to
dismissal of the charge under Wis.
¶11 Pursuant to Wis. Stat. § 948.025(1),
whoever commits three or more violations under Wis.
¶12 We reject both of Sadowski’s arguments. When deciding whether a defendant has
committed three or more violations of Wis.
Stat. § 948.02(1) or (2) for purposes of convicting under Wis.
¶13 Based on Holly’s testimony, the jurors could have found that the bedroom, pornography, and shower incidents all occurred between March 1 and October 31, 1999. Holly testified on direct examination that all three incidents occurred between March 1 and October 31, 1999. It was only during cross-examination that she testified that the shower incident could have been in October or November.[3] On redirect, she clarified that the shower incident had to be “summer, spring, or fall because it wasn’t cold outside, because [they] were … working outside.”
¶14 Holly’s testimony on cross-examination indicating that the
shower incident could have occurred in October or November was evidence for the
jury to consider. However, based on
Holly’s other testimony indicating that all three incidents occurred between
March 1 and October 31, 1999, her testimony on cross-examination did not compel
a finding that the shower incident occurred after October 31, 1999. It was the jury’s function to decide issues
of credibility, weigh the evidence, and resolve conflicts in the testimony,
including inconsistencies and contradictions in an individual witness’s
testimony. State v. Poellinger,
153
¶15 In any event, even if the jurors did not believe that the
bedroom, shower, and pornography incidents all happened by October 31, 1999,
they could still convict Sadowski of violating Wis.
¶16 “[U]nder Wisconsin law the allegation of substitute facts, all
of which furnish the same legal element of the crime, does not result in
multiplicitous charges if these facts are either separated in time or are of a
significantly different nature in fact.”
State v. Eisch, 96
¶17 Although the conduct alleged during the first incident may have
taken place within a relatively short period of time, the various acts
committed by Sadowski were significantly different in fact. Each alleged act of sexual contact or
intercourse—hand to penis, mouth to penis, penis to vagina—was different in
nature from the others, involving different body parts of each actor and a
separate, volitional act on the part of Sadowski. See id. at 36. Because each of Sadowski’s acts was different
in nature and required a separate volitional choice, each act constituted a
separate violation of Wis.
¶18 Sadowski argues that, even if the acts committed by him during
the first incident in the bedroom could constitute three violations under Wis.
¶19 In construing a statute, this court is not at liberty to
disregard the plain, clear words of the statute. State ex rel. Kalal v. Circuit Court
for Dane Cnty., 2004 WI 58, ¶46, 271 Wis. 2d 633, 681 N.W.2d 110. Wisconsin
¶20 Sadowski’s final challenge to his conviction under Wis.
¶21 Although Sadowski’s argument heading appears to challenge
McGuire’s qualifications as an expert witness, he develops no argument
concerning her qualifications. This
court is not required to consider arguments that are undeveloped on
appeal. Truttschel v. Martin, 208
¶22 In his brief on appeal, Sadowski contends that McGuire’s testimony was tantamount to testifying that Holly was telling the truth in violation of State v Haseltine, 120 Wis. 2d 92, 352 N.W.2d 673 (Ct. App. 1984). The record does not support this contention.[5]
¶23 No witness, expert or otherwise, is entitled to testify or
opine that another mentally and physically competent witness is telling the
truth.
¶24 Applying these standards here, no basis exists to conclude that
McGuire improperly vouched for Holly’s credibility. McGuire did not testify concerning Holly.[6] Instead, she testified about common characteristics
of children who reported being sexually abused, including delayed
reporting. She discussed causes of
delayed reporting, the manner in which children remember and disclose
information about sexual assaults, children’s difficulties in recalling exact
times and dates, the range of differences in the demeanor of children she had
interviewed, and variances in whether perpetrators treat siblings differently
from the children they assault. This
testimony was admissible because it assisted the jury in understanding the
evidence and determining whether a sexual assault occurred. See id., ¶¶7-8; Haseltine, 120
¶25 Sadowski’s final argument relates to his convictions for child
abuse under Wis. Stat. § 948.03(2)(b). He relies on the testimony of Holly and
Amanda indicating that Sadowski struck them both with a hockey stick in 1999,
when they lived in an apartment on Seventh Avenue in
¶26 Amanda similarly testified that she and Holly walked to school on the day of the hockey stick incident because they thought they had missed the bus. She testified that she normally took the bus to school at that time, but that she and Holly saw a bus pass that day and thought it was theirs, and therefore walked to school. Amanda testified that Sadowski then came to school and told her and Holly to get in his car. According to Amanda, they then returned to the apartment, went into her bedroom, and Sadowski struck her with a hockey stick.
¶27 In his postconviction motion and on appeal, Sadowski contends
that his trial counsel rendered ineffective assistance by failing to present
evidence that the girls were not bussed to school from the
¶28 To
establish a claim of ineffective assistance, a defendant must show that counsel’s
performance was deficient and that the deficiency was prejudicial. Strickland v.
¶29 Appellate
review of an ineffective assistance of counsel claim presents a mixed question
of law and fact. State v. McDowell, 2004
WI 70, ¶31, 272
¶30 In
analyzing an ineffective assistance claim, we may choose to address either the
deficient performance prong or the prejudice prong. State v. Williams, 2000 WI App 123,
¶22, 237
¶31 In
postconviction proceedings, Sadowski presented evidence that the
¶32 A trial
attorney has a duty to make either a reasonable investigation or a reasonable
decision that an investigation is unnecessary.
Strickland, 466
¶33 Sadowski’s trial counsel testified at the postconviction
hearing as required by State v. Machner, 92
¶34 Trial counsel testified that it was “possible, but not likely” that Sadowski said something to him about the bus and he did not recall. He testified that this was unlikely because he would have told Sadowski to write it in the notes. Counsel testified that Sadowski wrote notes for him in a steno book, including statements about the child abuse, but did not mention bussing.
¶35 Counsel also did not recall Sadowski saying anything about the bus during the trial, although he acknowledged that it was a possibility because “[a]s the trial was going on, Mr. Sadowski was coming up with more things at trial that I hadn’t heard prior to trial.” However, counsel also testified that he had a note from Sadowski from the jury trial, and it did not mention anything about the bus.
¶36 At the conclusion of the Machner hearing, the trial court denied Sadowski’s motion, concluding that he had not been denied effective assistance of counsel. In doing so, it relied upon trial counsel’s testimony that he did not recall Sadowski telling him that the girls did not take the bus to school, and found that counsel’s testimony was “corroborate[d]” by the fact that neither Sadowski’s notebook nor his trial note mentioned that the girls did not take the bus to school.
¶37 Although the trial court did not explicitly find that Sadowski
never told his trial counsel that the girls did not take the bus to school, it
implicitly made this finding when it discussed trial counsel’s testimony that
he did not recall Sadowski telling him about the bus, and the fact that the
written notes did not mention the bus. See Hubanks,
173
¶38 Credibility determinations were for the trial court.
By the Court.—Judgments and order affirmed.
This opinion will not be published. See Wis. Stat. Rule 809.23(1)(b)5.
[1] Sadowski
was convicted of crimes committed between March 1 and
[2] The
transcript of the preliminary hearing testimony was not admitted into evidence,
nor was the preliminary hearing testimony read into the record. Wisconsin
[3] On cross-examination, Sadowski’s attorney referred to the shower incident as the “second incident” and said “so it would have been in October or November.” After expressing confusion, Holly ultimately responded that it “could have been October or November.” Sadowski’s attorney then asked Holly about her preliminary hearing testimony, in which the pornography incident was the third incident to which she testified. However, on redirect Holly indicated that she had not meant her preliminary hearing testimony about the three incidents to be in any specific order, even though it came out that way.
[4] In
any event, the admissibility of expert opinion testimony lies in the discretion
of the trial court. State v. St.
George, 2002 WI 50, ¶37, 252
[5] The
State argues that Sadowski waived his claim that McGuire improperly vouched for
Holly’s truthfulness by failing to object to McGuire’s testimony based on State
v Haseltine, 120
[6] The only victim McGuire discussed was Amanda. McGuire testified that she interviewed Amanda, who reported being hit with a hockey stick. McGuire’s testimony did not indicate that she ever had any contact with Holly.
[7] Sadowski contends that by undermining the girls’ credibility on the child abuse charges, this evidence would also have undermined Holly’s credibility concerning the sexual assault charge.