Sharlow v. State

177 N.W.2d 88, 47 Wis. 2d 259, 1970 Wisc. LEXIS 989
CourtWisconsin Supreme Court
DecidedJune 2, 1970
DocketState 145
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 177 N.W.2d 88 (Sharlow 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
Sharlow v. State, 177 N.W.2d 88, 47 Wis. 2d 259, 1970 Wisc. LEXIS 989 (Wis. 1970).

Opinion

Hanley, J.

Defendant seeks the reversal of the judgment of conviction or, in the alternative, a new trial on the ground of alleged prejudicial error committed by the trial court. This alleged error raises the issue as to whether Officer Zellmer’s testimony concerning defendant’s confession was admissible. A question also arises as to whether, having expressly declined to challenge the statement at the time of trial, he can now raise the issue of admissibility.

At the trial Officer Zellmer was asked what, if anything, the defendant had told him concerning the offense with which he was charged. Officer Zellmer replied:

“A. Regarding the offense, he related that on Monday, November 18, 1968, at about 3:00 a. m. he went to the home of a friend, Ronald Winters at 1253 North 26th Street in the City of Milwaukee and in the home he had *262 met the complainant, Raymond Olkowski, and he stated that it was his observation that the complainant was trying to make out or make a date with some of the girls at the party and shortly thereafter, that Ronald Winters approached him in the kitchen and stated that Raymond had about $400 in his wallet and asked him that if he would roll him, which he agreed to do.
“Shortly thereafter the defendant stated that the complainant wasn’t able to make out with any of the girls at the party; that he wanted to go home and the defendant insisted on taking him home. He says he went into the defendant’s auto — the complainant — and it was in the back seat; and he drove the auto into an alley in the 2600 block of West Cherry in the City of Milwaukee; and at this time he stopped the auto and stated that he got into an altercation with the complainant regarding the complainant trying to make out with the girls at the party and that he slapped the complainant. And then he pulled the complainant from the back seat into the front seat of the car, where he had some more contact and wrestling continued outside the automobile, where he said he ripped the jacket off the complainant and that he hit him with his fists.
“He stated he took the complainant’s wallet and identification and the jacket and threw it in the car, but he stated at the time he — there was no money in this wallet and he then got into the car and returned to the home of Ronald Winters and just outside Ronald Winters’ home that he had looked in the jacket and there he found about $30.00.”

It should be noted that no objection was raised as to this testimony at the time of trial. Immediately following Officer Zellmer’s testimony the prosecution suggested that any testimony on the part of the defendant as to the voluntariness of his confession should be given at that point. The trial judge then noted that any objection as to admissibility should have been made as soon as the prosecution asked, “What, if anything, did he tell you, officer ?” but stated “. . . if counsel for the defense wishes to explore that further, I will accord him the opportunity to do so.” Defense counsel then expressly *263 declined either to cross-examine the police officer or introduce additional evidence concerning the voluntariness of the defendant’s confession.

Defendant’s right to challenge admissibility of his confession.

In State ex rel. Goodchild v. Burke (1965), 27 Wis. 2d 244, 133 N. W. 2d 753, this court, in compliance with Jackson v. Denno (1964), 378 U. S. 368, 84 Sup. Ct. 1774, 12 L. Ed. 2d 908, adopted the “orthodox procedure” in determining the voluntariness of a confession. Under this procedure a separate hearing is had before the trial judge (outside the presence of a jury) and he alone determines the issue of voluntariness. If he finds that the confession is involuntary, the jury is not allowed to hear such confession. If, however, he determines that it was voluntary, the confession is admitted, and the jury is allowed to consider its weight and credibility. Good-child, however, contemplated that this hearing on vol-untariness be held prior to trial.

In the instant case no such hearing was conducted prior to or during the defendant’s trial, because, as in Goodchild, no objection to the admission of the confession was raised. When faced with the question of whether one can waive a constitutional error concerning admissibility of a confession, this court in Goodchild held that such was possible if done as a deliberate defense tactic.

In so deciding, this court relied upon Henry v. Mississippi (1965), 379 U. S. 443, 85 Sup. Ct. 564, 13 L. Ed. 2d 408. In Henry evidence which was admitted at trial without objection was attacked on appeal to the Mississippi Supreme Court as having been obtained as a result of an illegal search. The Mississippi court determined that failure to object was fatal to the defendant’s appeal. The United States Supreme Court then held that Mississippi’s contemporaneous-objection rule served a *264 legitimate state interest by avoiding delay in the disposition of cases but remanded the case so that testimony could be taken concerning whether defense counsel knowingly waived objection to the evidence for purposes of trial strategy.

From a reading of Goodehild and Henry it would appear that this court could affirm the trial court based on defendant’s having waived his right to attack the admission of his confession. However, unless this court finds the instant record sufficient to establish that defense counsel did not object because of trial strategy, it would be compelled to order a separate hearing such as was required by the Supreme Court’s mandate in Henry. We do not think the record supports such a finding. We will, therefore, consider the defendant’s arguments on their merits.

Admissibility of defendant’s confession to Officer Zellmer.

In determining the admissibility of the defendant’s confession it is necessary to consider the occurrences leading to its alleged utterance. The record indicates that following the robbery with which he was charged, the defendant was incarcerated in the county jail at Forest Park, Illinois. The record, however, is not clear as to the reason for defendant’s arrest and incarceration in Illinois.

Having learned of the defendant’s incarceration, Officer Zellmer and his partner went to Forest Park to execute the Wisconsin warrant for the defendant’s arrest. Upon arriving at Forest Park, the officers were informed that before getting custody of the defendant, it would be necessary to initiate extradition proceedings. The defendant was thus taken before Illinois Judge James Boyle where he apparently signed a waiver of extradition.

*265 Following release by the Illinois officials, the defendant was driven back to Milwaukee.

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Related

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266 N.W.2d 279 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1978)
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230 N.W.2d 133 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1975)
Hemauer v. State
218 N.W.2d 342 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1974)
State v. Cydzik
211 N.W.2d 421 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1973)
Redepenning v. State
210 N.W.2d 673 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1973)
State v. Wallace
207 N.W.2d 855 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1973)
Gelhaar v. State
207 N.W.2d 88 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1973)
Pontow v. State
205 N.W.2d 775 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1973)
Mikulovsky v. State
196 N.W.2d 748 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1972)
McClellan v. State
193 N.W.2d 711 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1972)
State v. Hunt
193 N.W.2d 858 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1972)
Nash v. State
477 S.W.2d 557 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1972)
Quinn v. State
183 N.W.2d 64 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1971)

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Bluebook (online)
177 N.W.2d 88, 47 Wis. 2d 259, 1970 Wisc. LEXIS 989, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/sharlow-v-state-wis-1970.