State v. Benson

2012 WI App 101, 822 N.W.2d 484, 344 Wis. 2d 126, 2012 WL 3101836, 2012 Wisc. App. LEXIS 609
CourtCourt of Appeals of Wisconsin
DecidedAugust 1, 2012
DocketNo. 2011AP1399-CR
StatusPublished
Cited by14 cases

This text of 2012 WI App 101 (State v. Benson) 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. Benson, 2012 WI App 101, 822 N.W.2d 484, 344 Wis. 2d 126, 2012 WL 3101836, 2012 Wisc. App. LEXIS 609 (Wis. Ct. App. 2012).

Opinion

GUNDRUM, J.

¶ 1. This case arises from an incident in which Mark M. Benson, while under the influence of an intoxicant, crashed into the back of a vehicle driven by expectant mother Jennifer Bukosky and occupied by minors Courtney A.B., Deborah R.G., and Zachary B.B. The collision killed Bukosky, her unborn child, and Courtney, caused great bodily harm to Deborah, and injured Zachary. Benson ultimately pled to and was sentenced on three counts of homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle, including a count related to Bukosky's unborn child, one count of causing great bodily harm by intoxicated use of a vehicle, and one count of causing injury by intoxicated use of a vehicle.

[130]*130¶ 2. Benson appeals his conviction related to causing the death of an unborn child, arguing that he has been unconstitutionally denied equal protection of the law. He also appeals his sentence, contending the circuit court erred at sentencing by relying on inaccurate information in his expert's report related to the amount of Ambien1 in his blood and its effect on his functioning capabilities at the time of the crash. Lastly, Benson claims he was denied the effective assistance of counsel at sentencing because his counsel submitted to the court the expert's report which contained errors apparent to counsel but which counsel failed to correct prior to sentencing. We reject all Benson's challenges and affirm.

BACKGROUND

¶ 3. On April 25, 2008, Bukosky, who was pregnant, was stopped at a traffic light in her Honda Accord, with minors Courtney, Deborah and Zachary as passengers. Benson crashed the SUV Cadillac Escalade he was driving into the back of Bukosky's vehicle. As a result of the collision, Bukosky, her unborn child, and Courtney were killed. Deborah and Zachary were injured.

¶ 4. Benson was charged with three counts of homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle, including a count related to Bukosky's unborn child, one count of causing great bodily harm by intoxicated use of a vehicle, and one count of causing injury by intoxicated use of a [131]*131vehicle. Benson moved to dismiss the count related to Bukosky's unborn child, arguing that the statute it is based on is unconstitutional on equal protection grounds on its face and as applied to Benson. The court denied Benson's motion. Benson eventually pled to and was sentenced on each count.

¶ 5. Prior to sentencing, Benson's counsel submitted to the court a report from Dr. Francis Gengo, a doctor of pharmacology. In the report, Gengo identifies the level of Ambien in the blood sample drawn from Benson approximately one hour after the crash, but utilizes certain phrasing which, Benson argues, gave the sentencing court the inaccurate impression that the level of Ambien in his system was well in excess of therapeutic levels.

¶ 6. The court sentenced Benson to nine years of initial confinement and ten years of extended supervision on each of the three homicide counts, two and one-half years of initial confinement and five years of extended supervision on the great bodily harm count, and six months on the injury count, all consecutive.

¶ 7. Benson moved for postconviction relief, seeking resentencing on the grounds that the circuit court relied on the challenged Ambien-related information in Gengo's report when it sentenced Benson and that Benson's counsel provided ineffective assistance by submitting Gengo's report to the court without correcting the information. The circuit court denied Benson's motion.

¶ 8. Benson renews his equal protection and sentencing related claims on appeal. Additional facts will be addressed as appropriate throughout the decision.

[132]*132 EQUAL PROTECTION

¶ 9. Benson first argues that his conviction for homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle, causing the death of an unborn child, contrary to Wis. Stat. § 940.09(l)(c) (2009-10),2 cannot stand because Wis. Stat. § 939.75(2)(b)3.3 creates an unconstitutional exemption from criminal liability for "[a]n act by a woman who is pregnant with an unborn child that results in the death of or great bodily harm, substantial bodily harm or bodily harm to that unborn child."

[133]*133¶ 10. Specifically, Benson complains that under Wis. Stat. § 939.75(2)(b)3. a pregnant woman can cause the death of the unborn child within her "by drinking, drug overdose, stabbing herself in the abdomen or any other means, including intoxicated use of a vehicle" without criminal liability, while others, like Benson, are not similarly exempt for such acts causing the death of the same unborn child. Benson argues that because the statute exempts "certain intoxicated drivers" from criminal liability for causing the death of an unborn child, "equal protection prohibits his prosecution for the same conduct in this case."4 Benson contends that a pregnant woman who causes the death of the unborn child within her by intoxicated use of a vehicle is similarly situated to all others, including Benson, who might cause death to the unborn child by intoxicated use of a vehicle because both "groups" are "intoxicated drivers who kill an unborn child." He is incorrect.

¶ 11. As pertinent to this case, the two groups the statute creates are: (1) intoxicated drivers who cause the death of or harm to an unborn child living within them and (2) intoxicated drivers who cause the death of or harm to an unborn child living within another person. These two groups are meaningfully different.

[134]*134¶ 12. The Equal Protection Clause is not implicated, much less violated, unless the groups which are treated differently are similarly situated in the first instance. Treiber v. Knoll, 135 Wis. 2d 58, 67 n.5, 398 N.W.2d 756 (1987). A pregnant woman who causes the death of or harm to an unborn child within her is not similarly situated to others, like Benson, who might cause the death of or harm to the same child. As such, the Equal Protection Clause is not implicated.

¶ 13. A challenge to the constitutionality of a statute is a question of law we review de novo. State v. Lohmeier, 196 Wis. 2d 432, 437, 538 N.W.2d 821 (Ct. App. 1995), rev'd on other grounds, 205 Wis. 2d 183, 556 N.W.2d 90 (1996). Such a challenge "must overcome a strong presumption of constitutionality." State v. Thiel, 188 Wis. 2d 695, 706, 524 N.W.2d 641 (1994). Indeed, if any doubt exists as to a statute's constitutionality, "it must be resolved in favor of constitutionality." State v. McManus, 152 Wis. 2d 113, 129, 447 N.W.2d 654 (1989). "A party attacking a statute on constitutional grounds has the burden of proving that the statute is unconstitutional beyond a reasonable doubt." Lohmeier, 196 Wis. 2d at 437.

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

Related

State v. J. A. V.
Court of Appeals of Wisconsin, 2025
State v. Romance Xavier Gunn
Court of Appeals of Wisconsin, 2025
State v. Christopher J. Alexander
Court of Appeals of Wisconsin, 2025
State v. Donya T. Lee
Court of Appeals of Wisconsin, 2021
State v. Carrie E. Counihan
2020 WI 12 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 2020)
State v. Donavinn D. Coffee
2020 WI 1 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 2020)
Voss, Dante v. Carr, Kevin
W.D. Wisconsin, 2019
State v. Coffee
2019 WI App 1 (Court of Appeals of Wisconsin, 2018)
Com. v. McCoy, D.
Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 2015
Mark Benson v. Timothy Douma
626 F. App'x 171 (Seventh Circuit, 2015)
Renardo Carter v. Timothy Douma
796 F.3d 726 (Seventh Circuit, 2015)
Com. v. Allen, D.
Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 2015
Capoun Revocable Trust v. Ansari
2000 WI App 83 (Court of Appeals of Wisconsin, 2000)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
2012 WI App 101, 822 N.W.2d 484, 344 Wis. 2d 126, 2012 WL 3101836, 2012 Wisc. App. LEXIS 609, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-benson-wisctapp-2012.