State Ex Rel. Goodchild v. Burke

133 N.W.2d 753, 27 Wis. 2d 244, 1965 Wisc. LEXIS 905
CourtWisconsin Supreme Court
DecidedMarch 30, 1965
StatusPublished
Cited by237 cases

This text of 133 N.W.2d 753 (State Ex Rel. Goodchild v. Burke) 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
State Ex Rel. Goodchild v. Burke, 133 N.W.2d 753, 27 Wis. 2d 244, 1965 Wisc. LEXIS 905 (Wis. 1965).

Opinion

Wilkie, J.

Five principal issues are presented by this petition and return:

1. Is the petition for habeas corpus premature ?

2. Was it constitutional error not to appoint counsel for petitioner on his “arraignment” ?

3. Did admission of confessions and statements obtained between the first appearance in municipal court and the time counsel was appointed constitute constitutional error?

4. Was there constitutional error in the procedure on the trial where the trial judge did not make a determination as to the voluntariness of defendant’s confessions before they were received in evidence ?

*251 5. If there was constitutional error in the manner of determining the voluntariness of the confessions, was such error waived when counsel, for strategic reasons, failed to object to their receipt in evidence?

Prematurity of Petition.

On April 4, 1961, petitioner was paroled. On July 10, 1961, Goodchild was convicted on his plea of guilty of an April burglary in the municipal court of Milwaukee, and sentenced (under the repeater statute) to not more than eighteen years, the term to run consecutively to the murder sentences. His parole on the murder sentences was revoked on June 2, 1961, effective May 9, 1961. Petitioner has filed a habeas corpus (dated March 26, 1964) contesting his burglary conviction, and that petition is outstanding.

The attorney general contends that Goodchild’s instant petition is premature since, even if the murder convictions were vacated, he would still be subject to the eighteen-year burglary term and could not be discharged from custody.

Historically, habeas corpus was utilized to actually free the accused and it is true that, even if the writ Goodchild prays for here were issued, he would not be entitled to immediate liberty. Goodchild asserts claims of constitutional error that would invalidate the murder convictions. We have consistently held that such claims may be reviewed by habeas corpus. 3

There are at least three reasons why we should not consider this petition premature:

1. Although voiding of these convictions at any time prior to the length of the sentence imposed for the burglary could not absolutely result in Goodchild’s release, if these two *252 murder convictions were set aside, his parole and conditional-release opportunities would then be based on the single burglary sentence and not iri conjunction with the murder sentences.

2. Another reason for taking action on this petition now is that the legislature has provided no post-conviction procedure to adjudicate alleged constitutional errors surrounding a conviction once the time for appeal has passed, 4 unless it be by petition for the writ of habeas corpus addressed to this court. 5

3. Furthermore, where habeas corpus results in the delivery of a prisoner for an ordered new trial or other hearing years after his conviction either or both the prosecution and defense may be handicapped by the dimming memory of witnesses that may be still available and by the death or absence of other witnesses. Where constitutional rights may be involved it seems only logical to consider these grievances when presented rather than to postpone our consideration until years later when these difficulties may be aggravated.

We proceed then to a detailed consideration of the petition on its merits.

Denial of Counsel.

Goodchild did not have counsel at the March 17th and March 30th “arraignments” in the municipal court for the second-degree murders of his father and Becker respectively.

These were not “arraignments” although the magistrate so denoted them. The term “arraignment” is reserved for an appearance in a court having jurisdiction to take a plea to an information or indictment that has been filed and to which the court asks the defendant to plead. 6 The municipal court here told the defendant that he had no power to take a plea *253 and the appearances made by the defendant, either on March 17th or March 30th, were not at an “arraignment” but appearances before a magistrate before whom the two complaints were returnable.

At both of these initial appearances Goodchild was advised “of his right to the aid of counsel” and in open court he told the court he did not want counsel. After waiving the preliminary examination in each instance he was bound over to circuit court.

.On March 20, 1953, the defendant was brought before the circuit court on the charge of the second-degree murder of his father. He did not plead to the information which had been read to him. In fact, the hearing was limited to a motion by the district attorney for a mental and physical examination of the defendant. At the hearing Goodchild did state he needed an attorney but after the court repeatedly advised him he could have such counsel, Goodchild stated he would wait until he came back from the examination before he took an attorney. The circuit court ordered a mental and physical examination of the defendant at the Bradley Memorial State Hospital at Madison.

On March 30, 1953, after waiving the preliminary on the charge of the second-degree murder of Becker, Goodchild was brought before the circuit court for arraignment on this charge. Again he entered no plea. The court also entered an amended order directing a mental and physical examination of the defendant at the Central State Hospital at Waupun since the Bradley Memorial State Hospital at Madison had been unable to complete the examination. He requested the appointment of Attorney Patrick Dewane, whom the court, then and there, appointed.

Mr. Dewane represented the defendant at all related and subsequent proceedings, either in the municipal court or the circuit court. Petitioner now contends that the failure of the court to provide him with an attorney at his “arraignment” *254 violates his Sixth amendment (United States constitution) right to counsel.

From March 30, 1953, Goodchild was represented by counsel. Before Attorney Dewane was appointed as counsel to the defendant he had appeared at two preliminaries, where he refused counsel and waived the preliminary examination. At the two related arraignments in circuit court he entered no plea and on March 30th, when he asked for counsel the appointment was made immediately. Counsel represented him at the preliminary examination on the two amended counts of first-degree murder, the only preliminary held on charges on which the defendant was actually tried. Counsel represented him at the subsequent arraignment in circuit court when petitioner, for the first time, entered a plea, and in all phases of the circuit court proceedings, both before and after the trial.

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Bluebook (online)
133 N.W.2d 753, 27 Wis. 2d 244, 1965 Wisc. LEXIS 905, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-ex-rel-goodchild-v-burke-wis-1965.