District I
November 8, 2013
To:
Hon. Mel Flanagan
Circuit Court Judge
Milwaukee County Courthouse
901 N. 9th St.
Milwaukee, WI 53233
John Barrett
Clerk of Circuit Court
Room 114
821 W. State Street
Milwaukee, WI 53233
David J. Lang
8112 W. Bluemound Rd., Ste. 71
Wauwatosa, WI 53213
Karen A. Loebel
Asst. District Attorney
821 W. State St.
Milwaukee, WI 53233
Gregory M. Weber
Assistant Attorney General
P.O. Box 7857
Madison, WI 53707-7857
Bennitis Medina 435673
Kettle Moraine Corr. Inst.
P.O. Box 282
Plymouth, WI 53073-0282
Dan Barlich
Juvenile Clerk
Children’s Court Center
10201 W. Watertown Plank Rd.
Milwaukee, WI 53226
You are hereby notified that the Court has entered the following opinion and order:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2013AP475-CRNM |
State of Wisconsin v. Bennitis Medina (L.C. #2011CF3574) State of Wisconsin v. Bennitis Medina (L.C. #2011CM1619) |
|
|
|
Before Curley, P.J., Fine and
Kessler, JJ.
Bennitis Medina appeals two judgments of conviction
entered upon a jury’s verdicts. The Office
of the State Public Defender appointed Attorney David J. Lang to represent
Medina in postconviction and appellate proceedings. Attorney Lang filed a no-merit report and, at
our request, he filed a supplemental no-merit report to address the DNA
surcharge that the circuit court ordered Medina to pay if he had not previously
paid such a surcharge. Medina did not
file a response to the no-merit reports, but he did write a letter to this
court early in the appellate process describing issues that he wanted addressed
in postconviction and appellate proceedings.
Upon review of the no-merit reports, the record, and Medina’s letter, we
conclude that no arguably meritorious appellate issues exist, and we summarily
affirm. See Wis. Stat. Rule 809.21
(2011-12).[1]
We review proceedings in two cases joined for trial in
which the jury found Medina guilty of six crimes. In Milwaukee County case No. 2011CF3574, the
jury found him guilty of the felony offenses of endangering safety by use of a
firearm, possessing a firearm while a felon, and first-degree recklessly
endangering safety by use of a dangerous weapon. See
Wis. Stat. §§ 941.20(2)(a),
941.29(2), 941.30(1), 939.63(1)(b). The
jury also found him guilty in that case of one count of misdemeanor bail
jumping. See Wis. Stat. § 946.49(1)(a). In Milwaukee County case No. 2011CM1619, the
jury found Medina guilty of the misdemeanor offenses of battery and disorderly
conduct. See Wis. Stat. §§ 940.19(1),
947.01.
For the crimes of endangering safety by use of a
firearm and possessing a firearm while a felon, the circuit court imposed
concurrent ten-year terms of imprisonment, evenly bifurcated as five years each
of initial confinement and extended supervision. The circuit court granted Medina 239 days of
presentence incarceration credit towards the service of these sentences. For the crime of first-degree recklessly
endangering safety by use of a dangerous weapon, the circuit court imposed a
consecutive ten-year sentence, also evenly bifurcated as five years of initial
confinement and five years of extended supervision.[2] For the crimes of battery and disorderly
conduct, the circuit court imposed jail sentences of nine months and three
months, respectively, to be served concurrently with each other and with all
other sentences.[3] Finally, for the crime of bail jumping, the
circuit court imposed a time-served disposition of 239 days in jail.
We first consider whether sufficient evidence supports
the jury’s verdicts. When considering a
challenge to the sufficiency of the evidence, we apply a highly deferential
standard. We may not substitute our
judgment for that of the jury unless the evidence, viewed most favorably to the
State and the convictions, is so lacking in probative value and force that no
reasonable jury could have found guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. See State
v. Poellinger, 153 Wis. 2d 493, 507, 451 N.W.2d
752 (1990). This court will uphold
the verdicts if any possibility exists that the jury could have drawn the
inference of guilt from the evidence. Id.
When the record contains facts that support more than one inference,
this court must accept the inference drawn by the jury unless the evidence on
which that inference is based is incredible as a matter of law. Id. at 506-07.
To prove battery, the State was required to show that
Medina intentionally caused bodily harm to another person without the other
person’s consent and with knowledge that the other person did not consent to
the harm. See Wis. Stat. § 940.19(1);
Wis JI—Criminal 1220. To prove disorderly conduct, the State was
required to show that Medina engaged in violent, abusive, or otherwise
disorderly conduct under circumstances that tended to cause a disturbance. See
Wis. Stat. § 947.01(1); Wis JI—Criminal 1900. The State presented the testimony of Erica
Cervantes to prove these charges. She
told the jury that, early on the morning of
March 18, 2011, she and Medina, her boyfriend at that time, were in his car
after a night of drinking. They
quarreled, and he punched her. He then
dragged her out of the car by her hair and left her in an alley. Cervantes identified photographs of herself
with injuries on her head and body, and she explained that she received those
injuries on March 18, 2011, when Medina hit her and dragged her from his car. This evidence supports the convictions for
battery and disorderly conduct.
Cervantes next testified about facts and circumstances
underlying the remaining charges. She
said that, after police arrested Medina for the charges arising on March 18,
2011, she posted his bail. She also told
the jury that she recognized Medina’s signature acknowledging service, on April
5, 2011, of a court order that barred him from having any contact with her or
with her residence as a condition of his release on bail.
Cervantes further testified that, in the late Spring
of 2011, she ended her relationship with Medina and moved into the lower level
of a duplex at 3734 West Miller Lane.
She said that sometime after midnight on July 25, 2011, Medina came to
her home and knocked on her door and windows.
Cervantes told the jury that Medina was wearing a red shirt that night,
and that he called her name and asked her to open the door. She next heard Todd Hadley, who lived in the
upper level of the duplex, go downstairs and argue with Medina. Cervantes testified that Medina then drove
away, but immediately thereafter he telephoned her and asked why she had not
let him into her home, so Cervantes left the duplex to avoid “problems.” She later learned from police that shots had
been fired into her home, and when she returned to her apartment the next day
she saw bullet holes in the kitchen, hallway, and stairway. Finally, Cervantes testified that she viewed
a surveillance video recorded by a neighbor’s security cameras. She said that she recognized herself in the
video leaving her home early in the morning of July 25, 2011, and that she recognized
Medina as the person in a red shirt filmed outside of her home shortly thereafter.
Lisa Bielke testified that, on July 25, 2011, she
lived across the street from Cervantes and she awoke early that morning to the
sound of a disturbance. Bielke said that
her home was protected at that time by a security system with two working cameras. Bielke then identified the video recording
made by her security system on July 25, 2011, and she testified that the man in
the red shirt seen on the video was the same man she saw that night wearing a
red shirt, holding a gun, and firing at the duplex after he was out of the
camera’s range.
Bielke described calling 911 to report the shooting,
and she agreed that the tape recording of her 911 call that the State played in
the courtroom was true and correct. She
explained that she placed the call immediately after the shooting began and
that she heard one more shot while she was on the telephone. She added that, a few minutes after hearing
the last shot, she spoke to Hadley as he emerged from the duplex. She said that he was “upset” and “agitated,”
and he told Bielke that he was in bed when he heard gunshots.
Andre Matthews testified that he is a City of
Milwaukee police officer and that he interviewed Medina a few days after the
shooting incident on West Miller Lane.
Matthews told the jury that he advised Medina of his rights, and that
Medina agreed to make a statement. Matthews
told the jury that Medina admitted going to Cervantes’s home on July 25, 2011,
and Medina admitted that he was the person wearing a red shirt in Bielke’s
surveillance video, although he denied shooting at the home or hearing any
shots fired that night.
The parties stipulated that Medina was convicted of a
felony in 2002, and that his conviction had not been reversed as of July 25,
2011. The circuit court read the
stipulation to the jury.
To prove bail jumping, the State was required to show
that Medina was charged with a misdemeanor, that he was released from custody
on bond, and that he intentionally failed to comply with the terms of the
bond. See Wis JI—Criminal 1795;
Wis. Stat. § 946.49(1)(a). To prove that Medina possessed a firearm
while a felon, the State was required to show that he possessed a firearm on
July 25, 2011, and that he had been convicted of a felony before he possessed
the firearm. See Wis JI—Criminal 1343;
Wis. Stat. § 941.29(2). To prove that Medina endangered safety by use
of a dangerous weapon, the State was required to show that he discharged a
firearm into a building, and that he discharged the firearm intentionally and
under circumstances in which he should have realized that a human being might
be present in the building. See Wis
JI—Criminal 1324; Wis. Stat. § 941.20(2)(a). Finally, to prove that Medina recklessly
endangered safety while using a dangerous weapon, the State was required to
show that Medina endangered Hadley’s safety by criminally reckless conduct
under circumstances that showed Medina’s utter disregard for human life and
that Medina engaged in the criminally reckless conduct while using a dangerous
weapon. See Wis JI—Criminal 1345,
990; Wis. Stat. §§ 941.30(1),
939.63. From the evidence recited above,
we are satisfied that no arguably meritorious basis exists for a challenge to
the sufficiency of the evidence supporting Medina’s convictions for the crimes
arising on July 25, 2011.
Medina disagrees.
In his letter to this court, he identifies what he views as
deficiencies in the State’s proof of his
guilt in the matters arising on July 25, 2011. He notes, for example, that no fingerprints
were found on the shell casings collected at the scene of the shooting, that he
did not have a gun in his possession at the time of his arrest, and that the
video made by Bielke’s surveillance tape does not show anyone firing a
gun. He also asserts that Bielke
described the shooter during the 911 call as a “black male,” but, he says, he
is a “very light skin[n]ed male” who does not “look like an
[A]frican-[A]merican.” The jury,
however, decides issues of credibility, weighs the evidence, and resolves
conflicts in the testimony. See
Poellinger, 153 Wis. 2d at 506.
We have recited the evidence in the light most favorable to the State, and we conclude that the evidence
satisfies the elements of each crime.
We next consider whether Medina could raise an
arguably meritorious multiplicity claim stemming from his convictions for both
endangering safety by use of a dangerous weapon and first-degree recklessly
endangering safety while armed. The double
jeopardy clauses in the Fifth Amendment of the United States Constitution and
art. I, sec. 8 of the Wisconsin Constitution protect against multiple
punishments for the same offense. State
v. Sauceda, 168 Wis. 2d 486, 492, 485 N.W.2d 1 (1992). “We employ a two-prong test when analyzing a
multiplicity challenge: (1) whether the
charged offenses are identical in law and fact; and (2) whether the legislature
intended multiple offenses to be charged as a single count.” State v. Schaefer, 2003 WI App 164,
¶44, 266 Wis. 2d 719, 668 N.W.2d 760.
To determine whether offenses are identical in law and fact, we apply
the test set forth in Blockburger v. United States, 284
U.S. 299 (1932). State v. Davison, 2003 WI
89, ¶43, 263 Wis. 2d 145, 666 N.W.2d 1.
“[W]here the same act or transaction constitutes a violation of two
distinct statutory provisions, the test to be applied to determine whether
there are two offenses or only one, is whether each provision requires proof of
an additional fact which the other does not.”
Blockburger, 284 U.S. at 304.
The offense of endangering safety by use of a
dangerous weapon under Wis. Stat. § 941.20(2)(a)
requires proof that the defendant intentionally discharged a firearm into a
building or vehicle; the crime of recklessly endangering safety while armed in
violation of Wis. Stat. §§ 941.30(1)
and 939.63 does not require any act targeting a building or vehicle. Conversely, the latter offense requires
proof, pursuant to § 941.30(1), that the defendant acted under
“circumstances which show utter disregard for human life,” while the offense of
endangering safety by use of a dangerous weapon in violation of
§ 941.20(2)(a) does not require such proof. Accordingly, each of these two offenses
requires proof of a fact that the other does not.
Additionally, whether two offenses are identical in
fact “involves a determination of whether the charged acts are ‘separated in
time or are of a significantly different nature.’” State v. Koller, 2001 WI App 253,
¶31, 248 Wis. 2d 259, 635 N.W.2d 838 (citation omitted). When considering whether acts are separate in
time, “even a brief time separating acts may be sufficient.” Id.
Here, Bielke’s testimony and the surveillance video established that
Medina fired a series of shots, and then, after a delay, fired again.
Because Medina’s crimes are different in law and fact,
we presume that the legislature intended multiple punishments. See
Davison,
263 Wis. 2d 145, ¶44. A defendant
may overcome the presumption only by showing “‘clear legislative intent to the
contrary.’” Id. (citation
omitted). Our review, however, discloses
clear legislative intent to permit multiple punishments. Wisconsin
Stat. § 939.65 provides, with an exception for a statute not
implicated here, that “if an act forms the basis for a crime punishable under
more than one statutory provision, prosecution may proceed under any or all
such provisions.” We are satisfied that
Medina cannot pursue an arguably meritorious claim that his prosecution
violated his right to be free from double jeopardy.
We next consider whether Medina can pursue an arguably
meritorious challenge to his sentences.
Sentencing lies within the circuit court’s discretion, and our review is
limited to determining if the circuit court erroneously exercised its
discretion. State v. Gallion, 2004 WI
42, ¶17, 270 Wis. 2d 535, 678 N.W.2d 197.
“When the exercise of discretion has been demonstrated, we follow a
consistent and strong policy against interference with the discretion of the
[circuit] court in passing sentence.” State
v. Stenzel, 2004 WI App 181, ¶7, 276 Wis. 2d 224, 688 N.W.2d
20. The circuit court must consider the
primary sentencing factors of “the gravity of the offense, the character
of the defendant, and the need to protect the public.” State v. Ziegler, 2006 WI App 49,
¶23, 289 Wis. 2d 594, 712 N.W.2d 76.
The court may also consider a wide range of other factors concerning the
defendant, the offense, and the community.
See id. The court has
discretion to determine both the factors that it believes are relevant in
imposing sentence and the weight to assign to each relevant factor. Stenzel, 276 Wis. 2d 224, ¶16.
The sentencing court must also “specify the objectives
of the sentence on the record. These
objectives include, but are not limited to, the protection of the community,
punishment of the defendant, rehabilitation of the defendant, and deterrence to
others.” Gallion, 270 Wis. 2d
535, ¶40.
The record here reflects an appropriate exercise of
sentencing discretion. The circuit court
explained that the crimes were “very, very serious,” describing the battery and
disorderly conduct offenses as “ugly” and the offenses committed on July 25,
2011 as “aggravated,” and “dangerous.”
The circuit court characterized Medina as intelligent and praised his
solid work record, but the circuit court expressed concern that he did not
appear remorseful and found that his failure to accept responsibility for the
felony offenses placed him at risk of committing additional crimes. The circuit court also took into account
Medina’s substantial criminal history, which included four offenses as a
juvenile and three prior criminal convictions as an adult. See
State
v. Fisher, 2005 WI App 175, ¶26, 285 Wis. 2d 433, 702 N.W.2d 56
(substantial criminal history is evidence of character). The circuit court considered the need to
protect the public, pointing out that “people [were] put at great risk” by his
behavior.
The circuit court indicated that protection of the
community was the primary sentencing goal, emphasizing the fear and distress
caused by Medina’s behavior. In the
circuit court’s view, Medina acted with “no regard for the welfare or life of
the people in th[at] house” when he fired a gun into the duplex on West Miller
Lane; only “the luck of the draw” saved him from causing serious harm.
The circuit court concluded, as did the author of the
presentence investigation report, that Medina is statutorily ineligible for the
Challenge Incarceration Program and the Wisconsin Substance Abuse Program.[4] See
Wis. Stat. §§ 302.045, 302.05. Pursuant to Wis.
Stat. §§ 973.01(3g)-(3m), a circuit court exercises its sentencing
discretion to decide whether an imprisoned defendant may participate in these
programs, but the circuit court exercises that discretion only “[w]hen imposing
a bifurcated sentence ... on a person convicted of a crime other than a crime
specified in [Wis. Stat.] ch.
940.” Medina was convicted of a crime
specified in § 940.19. Accordingly,
the circuit court properly declined to consider him for these programs.
In his letter to this court, Medina complains that
“the victim impact statement was never read in sentencing.” A victim may, if he or she chooses to do so,
provide such a statement for the sentencing court’s consideration. See
Wis. Stat. §§ 950.04(1v)(m), 972.14(3)(a). In this case, however, the State advised the
circuit court near the outset of the sentencing proceedings that no such
statement had been submitted. Medina therefore
has no basis to challenge his sentences on the basis that the circuit court
overlooked relevant sentencing materials.
Medina also contends that his sentences are unduly
harsh. He asserts that he faced a
maximum, aggregate sentence of thirty-two years of imprisonment and received a
near-maximum aggregate sentence of thirty-one years of imprisonment. Medina misunderstands both the exposure that
he faced and the sentences actually imposed.
Medina faced an aggregate maximum sentence of thirty-nine years and six months
of imprisonment and a fine of $96,000.[5] The circuit court, however, structured the
penalties imposed in a way that required him to serve an aggregate term of twenty
years of imprisonment, bifurcated as ten years of initial confinement and ten
years of extended supervision.
A sentence is unduly harsh “‘only where the sentence
is so excessive and unusual and so disproportionate to the offense committed as
to shock public sentiment and violate the judgment of reasonable people
concerning what is right and proper under the circumstances.’” See
State
v. Grindemann, 2002 WI App 106, ¶31, 255 Wis. 2d 632, 648 N.W.2d
507 (citation omitted). We presume that
sentences within the statutory maximums are “not so disproportionate to the
offense[s] committed as to shock the public sentiment and violate the judgment
of reasonable people concerning what is right and proper under the
circumstances.’” See id. (citation
omitted). The sentences before us do not
exceed the maximum available penalties.
We cannot say that the sentences are shocking or excessive in light of
Medina’s risky and dangerous conduct.
Medina next complains that he was “misrepresented by
[his] public defender and [he] did not receive a fair trial.” To prevail in a claim that trial counsel was
ineffective, the defendant must show that counsel’s performance was deficient
and that the deficiency prejudiced the defense.
Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668, 687 (1984). To demonstrate deficient performance, the
defendant must show that counsel’s actions or omissions fell “outside the wide
range of professionally competent assistance.”
Id. at 690. To show
prejudice, the defendant must show that the deficiency deprived the defendant
of a fair trial and a reliable outcome. See id. at 687.
Our review of the trial proceedings reflects that
trial counsel appropriately raised objections, cross-examined witnesses, and
presented proper arguments to the jury about why it should find Medina not
guilty. Although the jury ultimately
convicted Medina of the charges he faced, the convictions do not themselves
signal that he received ineffective assistance of counsel. ‘“Effective representation is not to be
equated, as some accused believe, with a not-guilty verdict.’” State v. Machner, 92 Wis. 2d 797,
802, 285 N.W.2d 905 (Ct. App. 1979) (citation omitted).
We have additionally considered whether the record
would support an arguably meritorious claim that trial counsel was ineffective
for failing to seek suppression of Medina’s custodial statement. At a suppression hearing, the State must show
that the defendant received the warnings required by Miranda v. Arizona, 384
U.S. 436, 479 (1966).[6] See
State
v. Jiles, 2003 WI 66, ¶26, 262 Wis. 2d 457, 663 N.W.2d 798. The State must then show that the defendant
knowingly and intelligently waived the rights protected by the Miranda
warnings, and that the defendant gave his custodial statements
voluntarily. See Jiles, 262
Wis. 2d 457, ¶¶25-26. In pretrial
proceedings here, the State told the circuit court that the interrogating
officer, Matthews, interviewed Medina only after giving him the warnings
required by Miranda. Medina did not
dispute that contention nor did he dispute the State’s pretrial assertion that
he had received a copy of the recorded custodial interview. In his trial testimony, Matthews confirmed
that he questioned Medina after advising him of his constitutional rights and
that Medina said that he wanted to make a statement. The record thus offers no basis to suggest
that trial counsel should have requested a hearing to challenge the
admissibility of Medina’s custodial statement.
Relatedly, we have considered whether Medina could raise
an arguably meritorious claim that his trial counsel was ineffective for
failing to request Wis JI—Criminal 180,
regarding confessions and admissions.
The standard instruction directs the jury to determine whether the
defendant actually made the statement attributed to him or her, whether the
statement was accurately restated at trial, and whether the statement ought to
be believed. See id. Although the circuit court did not give that
specific instruction here, the circuit court thoroughly instructed the jury,
pursuant to Wis JI—Criminal 190, 195 and 300, regarding the duty to weigh the
evidence and assess the credibility of witnesses. We are satisfied that Medina could not make
an arguably meritorious argument that he suffered prejudice because the jury
did not receive the similar guidance provided by the standard language in Wis JI—Criminal 180.
We have further considered whether Medina could raise
an arguably meritorious claim that his trial counsel was ineffective for failing
to request the special instruction contained within Wis JI—Criminal 180 applicable to assessing unrecorded
custodial statements. Wisconsin has a
policy of recording custodial interrogation.
See Wis. Stat. § 968.073(2). Here, Matthews testified at trial that,
although he recorded his interview with Medina, Matthews did not record Medina
while he watched the videotape made by Bielke’s surveillance cameras. Matthews explained that the interview room in
the jail did not have the equipment necessary for watching a videotape, so
Medina watched the video in a separate room “during a break that wasn’t ...
recorded.”
Pursuant to Wis.
Stat. § 972.115(2), a defendant may request a special jury
instruction when a recording of an interrogation is unavailable.[7] See
id. That instruction provides:
[i]t is the policy of this state to make an audio or audio and visual recording of a custodial interrogation of a person suspected of committing a felony. You may consider the absence of an audio or audio and visual recording of the interrogation in evaluating the evidence relating to the interrogation and the statement in this case.
See Wis JI—Criminal 180;
see also § 972.115(2).
We are satisfied that Medina could not pursue an
arguably meritorious claim of ineffective assistance of counsel based on counsel’s
failure to request the special instruction applicable to assessing an unrecorded
custodial interrogation. The legislature
defines a custodial interrogation as one “during which the officer or agent
asks a question that is reasonably likely to elicit an incriminating
response.” See Wis. Stat. § 968.073(1)(a). We are not satisfied that watching a video
clearly fits within the statutory definition of a “custodial
interrogation.” A claim of ineffective
assistance of counsel is ‘“limited to situations where the law or duty is
clear[.]’” State v. Maloney, 2005 WI
74, ¶29, 281 Wis. 2d 595, 698 N.W.2d 583 (citation omitted).
Moreover, even assuming that Medina was clearly
participating in a custodial interrogation as defined in Wis. Stat. § 968.073 while watching
the surveillance video, we are persuaded that he could not make an arguably
meritorious showing that he suffered prejudice from his trial counsel’s failure
to request a special instruction. When
we consider whether a defendant suffered prejudice from trial counsel’s acts or
omissions, we consider the alleged deficiency in light of the totality of the
evidence presented at trial. See State
v. Jeannie M.P., 2005 WI App 183, ¶26, 286 Wis. 2d
721, 703 N.W.2d 694. Here, the State
presented overwhelming evidence that Medina was the gunman, even absent his
custodial admission that he was the person in the red shirt seen on the
surveillance tape. Cervantes, his former
girlfriend, said that she recognized him as the person in the red shirt on the
surveillance video. Bielke testified
that she saw the person in the red shirt fire a gun into the building at 3734
West Miller Lane on July 25, 2011. No
reasonable probability exists that a supplemental jury instruction about
Wisconsin’s policy of recording custodial interviews would have affected the
outcome of the trial in light of the totality of the trial evidence.
Finally, we note that the circuit court ordered Medina
to pay a DNA surcharge “if [he] ha[d] not paid in the past.” See Wis. Stat. § 973.046(1g) (permitting
sentencing court to impose a $250 DNA surcharge when sentencing a defendant for
a felony that does not involve certain sex crimes). The circuit court must exercise its
discretion when imposing a surcharge under § 973.046(1g) and must set
forth on the record the factors considered in making the decision. See
Based on our independent review of the record, no other issues warrant discussion. We conclude that any further proceedings would be wholly frivolous within the meaning of Anders and Wis. Stat. Rule 809.32.
IT IS ORDERED that the judgment of conviction in case No. 2011CM1619, modified as directed in footnote three, is summarily affirmed. See Wis. Stat. Rule 809.21.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the
judgment of conviction in case No. 2011CF3574, modified as directed in footnote
eight, is summarily affirmed. See id.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that, effective on the date that the circuit court enters the amended judgments of conviction described in this opinion and order, Attorney David J. Lang is relieved of any further representation of Bennitis Medina on appeal. See Wis. Stat. Rule 809.32(3).
Diane M. Fremgen
Clerk of Court of Appeals
[1] All references to the Wisconsin Statutes are to the 2011-12 version unless otherwise noted.
[2] At the sentencing hearing, the circuit court imposed six years of extended supervision for the crime of first-degree recklessly endangering safety by use of a dangerous weapon. In response to an inquiry submitted by the Department of Corrections a few weeks after the hearing, the circuit court concluded that the six-year term of extended supervision exceeded the statutory maximum period of extended supervision allowed for the offense. See Wis. Stat. § 941.30(1) (classifying first-degree recklessly endangering safety as a Class F felony); Wis. Stat. § 973.01(2)(d)4. (providing that the term of extended supervision for a Class F felony may not exceed five years). The circuit court therefore reduced the term of extended supervision for the crime to five years and entered an amended judgment of conviction reflecting the corrected disposition. No further action is required. See Wis. Stat. § 973.13 (excess portion of sentence is void and stands commuted without further proceedings).
[3] The original judgment of conviction in case No. 2011CM1619 erroneously reflects a nine-month jail sentence for disorderly conduct. The circuit court did not pronounce that sentence, which would have exceeded the statutory maximum of ninety days of imprisonment allowed by Wis. Stat. § 939.51(3)(b) for a violation of Wis. Stat. § 947.01. Subsequently, the circuit court entered a second judgment of conviction in the case, but the “corrected” judgment is also in error and reflects a six-month jail sentence for disorderly conduct. “[A]n unambiguous oral pronouncement controls when a conflict exists between a court’s oral pronouncement of sentence and a written judgment.” State v. Prihoda, 2000 WI 123, ¶24, 239 Wis. 2d 244, 618 N.W.2d 857. Upon remittitur, the circuit court shall direct the clerk of the circuit court to enter an amended judgment of conviction in case No. 2011CM1619 that reflects Medina’s three-month concurrent jail sentence as orally pronounced by the sentencing court. See id., ¶5 (circuit court must correct clerical error in sentence portion of written judgment or direct clerk’s office to make the correction).
[4] The Wisconsin Substance Abuse Program was formerly called the Wisconsin Earned Release Program. Effective August 3, 2011, the legislature renamed the program. See 2011 Wis. Act 38, § 19; Wis. Stat. § 991.11. Both names are used to refer to the program in the current version of the Wisconsin Statutes. See Wis. Stat. §§ 302.05; 973.01(3g). Although sentencing in this case occurred in 2012, the circuit court referred to the program by its former name during the proceeding. For the sake of clarity, we refer to the program by its current name.
[5] Following the misdemeanor convictions, Medina faced nine months in jail and a $10,000 fine for battery pursuant to Wis. Stat. §§ 940.19(1), 939.51(3)(a); three months in jail and a $1,000 fine for disorderly conduct pursuant to Wis. Stat. §§ 947.01, 939.51(3)(b); and nine months in jail and a $10,000 fine for bail jumping pursuant to Wis. Stat. §§ 946.49(1)(a), 939.51(3)(a). As to the felony convictions, Medina faced ten years of imprisonment and a $25,000 fine for endangering safety by use of a dangerous weapon pursuant to Wis. Stat. §§ 941.20(2)(a), 939.50(3)(g); ten years of imprisonment and a $25,000 fine for possessing a firearm while a felon pursuant to Wis. Stat. §§ 941.29(2), 939.50(3)(g); and seventeen years and six months of imprisonment and a $25,000 fine for recklessly endangering safety while armed pursuant to Wis. Stat. §§ 941.30(1), 939.63(1)(b), and 939.50(3)(f).
[6] Before questioning a suspect in custody, officers must inform the person of, inter alia, the right to remain silent, the fact that any statements made may be used at trial, the right to have an attorney present during questioning, and the right to have an attorney appointed if the person cannot afford one. See Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, 478-79 (1966).
[7] Wisconsin Stat. § 968.073(2) “does not require suppression of evidence obtained from an unrecorded interview of an adult.” State v Townsend, 2008 WI App 20, ¶1, 307 Wis. 2d 694, 746 N.W.2d 493.
[8] Although the circuit court ordered Medina to pay a DNA surcharge only if he had not previously paid one, the judgment of conviction in case No. 2011CF3574 reflects a $250 DNA analysis surcharge as a court-ordered obligation without indicating the conditional nature of the circuit court’s order. Upon remittitur, the circuit court shall direct the clerk of the circuit court to enter an amended judgment of conviction in case No. 2011CF3574 correctly stating Medina’s obligation, as orally ordered by the sentencing court. See Prihoda, 239 Wis. 2d 244, ¶5.