State ex rel. Zabel v. Hannan

262 N.W. 625, 219 Wis. 257, 1935 Wisc. LEXIS 263
CourtWisconsin Supreme Court
DecidedOctober 8, 1935
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 262 N.W. 625 (State ex rel. Zabel v. Hannan) 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. Zabel v. Hannan, 262 N.W. 625, 219 Wis. 257, 1935 Wisc. LEXIS 263 (Wis. 1935).

Opinions

Nelson, J.

Isaac J. Rosenberg, on May 13, 1933, was convicted by the municipal court of Milwaukee county on four counts of an information which charged him with having theretofore published false statements of the condition of the Liberty State Bank of Milwaukee, in violation of sec. 221.17 of the Wisconsin Statutes. He was sentenced on each count to a general or indeterminate term of from one to five years in the state prison, the sentences to run concurrently. Gustave G. Gehrz, circuit judge, presided as judge of the municipal court at said trial. William A. Zabel, district attorney of Milwaukee county, prosecuted the action. The crimes of which Rosenberg was convicted constituted his first offense. After his conviction had been affirmed by this court (Rosenberg v. State, 212 Wis. 434, 249 N. W. 541), and after a futile attempt had been made by him to have the supreme court of the United States allow an appeal to that court, he began to serve his sentence. After having been imprisoned for more than a year, he applied to the State Board of Control, hereafter called the board, for a parole, pursuant to the provisions of sec. 57.06. That application was dated October 19, 1934, and was made on a form supplied by the board. In that application Rosenberg stated:

“I was sentenced to 4 terms, 1-5 years concur, by Gus-tave G. Gehrz, judge of the municipal court of Milwaukee county.
“I was prosecuted by Geo. A. Bowman, district attorney.”

Thereafter, on November 1, 1934, the board mailed to Geo. A. Bowman, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, written notice of Rosenberg’s application, and that the matter would be heard [260]*260by the board at the office of the warden of the state prison at Waupun on November 19, 1934, at 10 o’clock a. m., or as soon thereafter as the board could reach the matter. The notice concluded as follows :

“Any reasons you may submit to said board, either in writing or verbally, why said parole should or should not be granted to said applicant, will be duly considered. All communications should be addressed to the State Board of Control, c/o'State Prison, Waupun, Wisconsin.”

No written notice of said application was mailed to William A. 'Zabel, the district attorney who participated in the trial of Rosenberg. Gustave G. Gehrz responded to a similar notice sent him by writing a letter to Hon.’ Albert G. Schmedeman, then governor of Wisconsin, in which he vigorously opposed the granting of a parole to Rosenberg at that time. Although William A. Zabel was given no written notice of the application for parole, he was informed of its pendency through the press. Acting upon such information, he wrote a letter to the board in which he briefly expressed his strenuous objection to the granting of a parole. Among other things he said:

“I have not, up to this date, received a notice of such application, but take this opportunity to oppose the granting of same, without the usual notice having been served, as I handled the final disposition of this matter when it came into court.”

Rosenberg’s application for parole was considered by the board on November 20, 1934, and unconditionally denied. On April 24, 1935, Rosenberg again applied to the board for a parole.- In his second application he again stated that he was prosecuted by Geo. A. Bowman, district attorney. The board again sent written notice of the application to Geo. A. Bowman, which informed him that the application would be heard by the board at the office of the warden of the Wiscon[261]*261sin state prison at Waupun on May 20, 1935, at 10 o’clock a. m., and concluded in the same manner as the first notice hereinbefore recited. No written notice of that application was sent to William A. Zabel. According to the minutes of the board returned to the circuit court, the board met at the Wisconsin state prison to consider applications for parole. The following is a copy of the relevant minutes of the board:

“The following applicants for parole appeared before the board, . . . the paroles being subject to executive approval.
“Isaac J. Rosenberg, paroled.”

From the order for parole, it appears that the principal consideration which induced the board to act favorably upon the application was the belief that Rosenberg would be able to render valuable aid and assistance in the liquidation of the Liberty State Bank of Milwaukee to the benefit of depositors and other creditors of the bank. The governor approved the parole.

The question for decision is whether the board exceeded its authority in paroling Rosenberg without having given William A. Zabel, the district attorney who participated in the trial of the prisoner, ten days’ written notice.

The only statute which needs to be considered is sec. 57.06. So much of that statute as requires present consideration is as follows:

“57.06 Paroles from state prison and Milwaukee house of correction. (1) The board of control, with the approval of the governor, may, upon ten days’ written notice to the district attorney and judge who participated in the trial of the prisoner, parole any prisoner convicted of a felony and imprisoned in the state prison or in the house of correction of Milwaukee county . . . who if he is a first offender and is sentenced for an indeterminate term, shall have served the minimum for which he was sentenced not deducting any allowance for time for good behavior.”

[262]*262It is clear that the legislature intended to authorize the board, with the approval of the governor, upon ten days’ written notice to the district attorney and judge who participated in the trial of the prisoner, to parole any prisbner convicted of a felony and imprisoned in the state prison or in the house of correction of Milwaukee county. Rosenberg was a first offender. He had been sentenced for an indeterminate term and had served the minimum for which he was sentenced, not deducting any allowance for time for good behavior. He was therefore eligible for parole in so far as the prerequisite statutory requirements were concerned, but the board failed to give to the district attorney who participated in the trial the written notice required by sec. 57.06.

It is not only not contended by the appellants that the board had authority to grant a parole without giving to the district attorney who participated in the trial of the prisoner ten days’ written notice, but it is conceded that the statute requires that the ten days’ written notice be given to him.

In the brief of the board it is said:

“It is a- fair summary of the statute to say that the legislature intended to confer upon the Board of Control an unlimited discretion in regard to granting paroles after a prisoner had served a minimum sentence, but to provide that such discretion be exercised only with the approval of the governor, and only if notice were given to the judge and district attorney who tried the case.”

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
262 N.W. 625, 219 Wis. 257, 1935 Wisc. LEXIS 263, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-ex-rel-zabel-v-hannan-wis-1935.