Schleiss v. State

239 N.W.2d 68, 71 Wis. 2d 733, 1976 Wisc. LEXIS 1264
CourtWisconsin Supreme Court
DecidedMarch 2, 1976
DocketState 206 (1974)
StatusPublished
Cited by27 cases

This text of 239 N.W.2d 68 (Schleiss v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Wisconsin Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Schleiss v. State, 239 N.W.2d 68, 71 Wis. 2d 733, 1976 Wisc. LEXIS 1264 (Wis. 1976).

Opinion

*735 Connor T. Hansen, J.

We set forth only those facts relevant to this review, some at this time and others in considering the issues raised by the defendant.

A second alleged party to the crime, Ronald Mathwick, was tried in a separate proceeding, which took place prior to defendant’s trial. Mathwick was adjudged not guilty. The defendant moved the court for dismissal on the ground that the issue to be tried had been fully litigated in the case of State v. Mathwick and, thus, the state was foreclosed from relitigation of the alleged criminal violation with respect to defendant. This motion was denied.

In both the trial of this defendant and that of Math-wick, one of the main witnesses for the state was Deland Powers. During the course of the trial, outside the presence of the jury, counsel for defendant offered the testimony of Dr. Edward Orman, a psychiatrist. This offer of proof related to the reliability of Powers’ testimony. The court determined that Dr. Orman’s testimony should not be admitted, because of lack of proper foundation. Counsel for the defendant then requested that Dr. Orman be allowed to conduct a psychiatric examination of Powers. The court denied this request, basing the determination on prior case law, the fact that no motion for examination had been previously made, and the length of time required for such an examination while a jury trial was in progress.

The initial portion of the prosecutor’s closing argument was not recorded. However, the record shows that counsel for the defendant moved for a mistrial based on a comment, made by the prosecutor, which the defendant alleges referred to defendant’s failure to testify. The court denied the motion; however, the jury was instructed that no adverse inference was to be drawn from the fact that defendant did not testify.

This review presents the following issues:

1. Did the circuit court lack subject matter jurisdiction in this case?

*736 2. Was the trial of this defendant barred by the doctrine of collateral estoppel?

3. Was it error for the court to refuse to admit psychiatric testimony regarding the reliability of a particular witness ?

4. Was it error for the court to refuse to allow a particular witness to submit to a psychiatric examination?

5. Was it error for the court to refuse to grant a mistrial on the grounds of allegedly improper remarks made by the prosecutor during closing argument?

Subject-matter Jurisdiction.

Defendant was charged with violation of sec. 943.10, Stats.:

. . (1) Whoever intentionally enters any of the following places without the consent of the person in lawful possession and with intent to steal or commit a felony therein may be imprisoned not more than 10 years:
“(a) Any building or dwelling;. . .”

The criminal information charged defendant with the following' criminal acts:

“. . . [T]he defendant did: feloniously and burglariously [sic] intentionally enter a building, to wit: Forest Feed Mill, Inc., located at village of Forest, in said county, and the office within said building, then and there occupied by the Forest Feed Mill, and with intent then and there to steal the property of the said Forest Feed Mill, Inc. contrary to section 943.10, Wisconsin Statutes.

The information did not contain the statutory language, ■“without the consent of the person in lawful possession.” Thus, the defendant argues, the information did not allege all of the material elements of the crime charged and, *737 therefore, the trial court lacked jurisdiction and the proceedings were void.

Several recent decisions of this court have discussed the effect of failure to include a specific element of an alleged criminal violation in the complaint or information. In Clark v. State (1974), 62 Wis. 2d 194, 199, 200, 214 N. W. 2d 450, the information:

“. . . alleged that the defendant was feloniously involved in the commission of the murder of Troy Pulliam, a human being, contrary to the form of the statute, sec. 940.01 and sec. 939.05.”

Certain material elements of the crime charged were not specifically set forth in the information. However, this court noted, relying on State v. Bachmeyer (1945), 247 Wis. 294, 19 N. W. 2d 261, that reference was made in the information to the statute containing the substantive elements of the crime charged. The incorporation of the statutory section was deemed sufficient to comply with the requirement that all material elements of the alleged violation be set forth in the information. Therefore, it was concluded that:

“. . . the information, although not a model of draftsmanship, fully advised the defendant of the nature and cause of the accusation against him. The accusation was such that the defendant could and did intelligently and knowingly enter a plea and prepare a defense. Holesome v. State (1968), 40 Wis. 2d 95, 102, 161 N. W. 2d 283. The trial court had jurisdiction, both as to the subject matter of the trial and the person of the defendant.” Clark v. State, supra, pp. 203, 204.

In State v. Nowakowski (1975), 67 Wis. 2d 545, 227 N. W. 2d 697, defendant was charged with failure to report a campaign contribution, contrary to secs. 12.09 (1) and 12.09 (3) (a), Stats., 1971. It was contended that the indictment therein was void because it failed to allege a material element of the crime, pages 568, 569. This *738 court held that because the statute allegedly violated was cited by number in’the indictment, the indictment was not jurisdietionally void, page 571.

In both Clark, supra, and Nowakowski, supra, collateral circumstances relating to lack of prejudice to the defendant were emphasized. Thus, in Clark, it was pointed out that defendant did not contend that he was not fully aware of the nature and cause of the accusation against him. It was noted, moreover, that the rights of the defendant had not been prejudiced in any way. Clark v. State, supra, p. 200. In Nowakowski, supra, pp. 571, 572, this court recognized that, beside the fact that the statute had been cited by number in the indictment, the requirement of proof of the omitted element had been stated by the trial court prior to trial. In addition, the jury had been properly instructed on the nature of the missing element.

A review of these cases demonstrates that although a poorly drafted information produces unnecessary litigation, the failure to specifically allege a material element of the crime within the factual statement contained in the information does not ipso facto render the information void, if the statute which contains the substantive elements of the offense is cited therein.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

State v. Johnson
2004 WI 94 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 2004)
State v. Schaller
544 N.W.2d 247 (Court of Appeals of Wisconsin, 1995)
State v. Maday
507 N.W.2d 365 (Court of Appeals of Wisconsin, 1993)
State v. Petrone
468 N.W.2d 676 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1991)
Pueblo v. Torres Figueroa
126 P.R. Dec. 721 (Supreme Court of Puerto Rico, 1990)
State v. Kramsvogel
369 N.W.2d 145 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1985)
Carbaugh v. State
449 A.2d 1153 (Court of Appeals of Maryland, 1982)
State v. Dean
314 N.W.2d 151 (Court of Appeals of Wisconsin, 1981)
State v. Copening
309 N.W.2d 850 (Court of Appeals of Wisconsin, 1981)
Manson v. State
304 N.W.2d 729 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1981)
Clark v. State
286 N.W.2d 344 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1979)
Hampton v. State
285 N.W.2d 868 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1979)
Manson v. State
284 N.W.2d 703 (Court of Appeals of Wisconsin, 1979)
State v. Williamson
267 N.W.2d 337 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1978)
State Ex Rel. Bell v. County Court for Columbia County
263 N.W.2d 162 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1978)
Larsen v. State
566 P.2d 413 (Nevada Supreme Court, 1977)
Commonwealth v. Brown
375 A.2d 331 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1977)
Smith v. State
564 P.2d 1194 (Wyoming Supreme Court, 1977)
Johnson v. State
249 N.W.2d 593 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1977)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
239 N.W.2d 68, 71 Wis. 2d 733, 1976 Wisc. LEXIS 1264, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/schleiss-v-state-wis-1976.