State v. Addison

2019 WI App 21, 927 N.W.2d 925, 386 Wis. 2d 629
CourtCourt of Appeals of Wisconsin
DecidedMarch 26, 2019
DocketAppeal Nos. 2018AP55-CR; 2018AP56-CR; 2018AP57-CR
StatusPublished

This text of 2019 WI App 21 (State v. Addison) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Wisconsin primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Addison, 2019 WI App 21, 927 N.W.2d 925, 386 Wis. 2d 629 (Wis. Ct. App. 2019).

Opinion

DUGAN, J.

¶1 Maries D. Addison, with counsel, appeals from judgments of conviction for seventeen felonies, including sexual assault, human trafficking, child exploitation, and child enticement with intent to cause the child to engage in prostitution.1 Addison also appeals the order denying his postconviction motion. This appeal is from three cases that the trial court consolidated for purposes of trial. We also consolidated the three cases for the purposes of this appeal.2

¶2 Addison argues that the cases against him should have been dismissed due to the violation of his speedy trial rights. He also argues that the trial court erred (1) when it denied his request for new counsel, required him to proceed pro se , and when it failed to make a sufficient finding that he was competent to represent himself; and (2) when it directed his Bible be removed from the courtroom in violation of his right to religious freedom. We are not persuaded and, therefore, affirm.

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

The first case

¶3 The State filed a nine count criminal complaint on March 7, 2011, charging Addison with one count of false imprisonment as a party to the crime; four counts of second-degree sexual assault by use of force or violence; one count of kidnapping by seizing or confining forcibly; two counts of first-degree sexual assault by use of force, being aided or abetted by others; and one count of strangulation. All the counts involved one victim, K.L.

The second case

¶4 The State filed an eleven count complaint on April 15, 2011, charging Addison with one count of child enticement with intent to cause a child to engage in prostitution; one count of trafficking of a child; three counts of second-degree sexual assault by use of force or violence; one count of child enticement with intent to cause a child to expose a sex organ; one count of strangulation and suffocation; two counts of sexual exploitation of a child by employing, using, or inducing a child to engage in sexually explicit conduct; one count of third-degree sexual assault; and one count of human trafficking. Ten counts involved victim D.S.B. and one count involved victim J.G. The State dismissed the third-degree sexual assault count on May 16, 2011.

The first motion for consolidation and withdrawal of retained trial counsel

¶5 On April 18, 2011, the State initially filed a motion to consolidate the two cases against Addison for trial. At a May 16, 2011 hearing, trial counsel moved to withdraw because he was unwilling to represent Addison in the second case.3 The trial court granted the withdrawal motion and continued the matter until May 31, 2011, to allow for new counsel to be appointed. At the May 31, 2011 proceeding, newly appointed trial counsel appeared.

The third case

¶6 The State filed a four count criminal complaint on June 21, 2011, charging Addison with three counts of human trafficking and one count of second-degree sexual assault by use of force or violence. The three human trafficking counts involved three different victims, P.T., J.C., and J.P.; the other count involved victim J.C.

The second motion for consolidation

¶7 On June 29, 2011, the State filed a motion to consolidate all three cases for trial. On August 4, 2011, the State dismissed the human trafficking charge involving P.T. in the third case. On August 23, 2011, the trial court granted the State's motion to consolidate the three cases and set a jury trial for December 5, 2011. Addison did not object to the consolidation.

Further trial court proceedings

¶8 At a November 14, 2011 final pretrial conference, trial counsel requested an adjournment of the December 5, 2012 trial to continue investigation of the cases and due to a personal injury. The State was prepared to proceed to trial. The trial court granted the adjournment and scheduled a jury trial for February 21, 2012. On February 17, 2012, the trial court informed the parties that due to the ongoing trial in another case, it had to adjourn the trial date. The jury trial was then scheduled for June 18, 2012.

¶9 On June 11, 2012, the State provided trial counsel with 3000 photos and 750 text messages that had been on Addison's cellular telephone. On June 18, 2012, trial counsel requested an adjournment of the trial date because of that new material. The State agreed "it would be inadvisable not to give the defense adequate time" to review the "ton of material" on the disk. The trial court granted the adjournment.

¶10 At a July 24, 2012 final pretrial conference, trial counsel requested permission to withdraw from representing Addison. The trial court denied the motion. Immediately after the trial court stated that it was denying Addison's request for new counsel, Addison stated that he wanted to represent himself. After a hearing, the trial court found that Addison was competent to represent himself at trial and had freely and voluntarily waived his right to counsel. The trial court also appointed trial counsel as standby counsel for Addison.

¶11 The trial court presided over a thirteen day jury trial that began on August 13, 2012, and ended on August 28, 2012. During the course of the trial, the trial court ordered removal of Addison's Bible from the courtroom.

¶12 At the conclusion of the trial, the jury found Addison guilty of seventeen of the charges and not guilty of five of the charges. Specifically, the jury returned not guilty verdicts on the kidnapping count and one count of second-degree sexual assault in the first case, one count of second-degree sexual assault and one count of human trafficking in the second case, and one count of second-degree sexual assault in the third case.

¶13 On November 16, 2012, the trial court imposed a global sentence of eighty years of initial confinement and twenty-three years of extended supervision.

Postconviction proceedings

¶14 On October 16, 2017, Addison, with counsel, filed a postconviction motion requesting dismissal or a new trial, making the same three claims he presents on appeal. The postconviction court denied the motion.

¶15 This appeal followed.

DISCUSSION

¶16 Addison argues that the cases against him should have been dismissed due to the violation of his speedy trial rights. He also argues that the trial court erred when it denied his request for new counsel, required him to proceed pro se , did not make a sufficient inquiry regarding his competency to represent himself, and directed removal of his Bible from the courtroom in violation of his right to religious freedom.

I. Standards of review and applicable law

Right to a speedy trial

¶17 We review de novo the question of law of whether a defendant's constitutional right to a speedy trial has been violated; however, we accept the postconviction court's findings of fact unless they are clearly erroneous. See State v. Urdahl , 2005 WI App 191, ¶10, 286 Wis. 2d 476, 704 N.W.2d 324.

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Bluebook (online)
2019 WI App 21, 927 N.W.2d 925, 386 Wis. 2d 629, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-addison-wisctapp-2019.