State v. DeSmidt

444 N.W.2d 420, 151 Wis. 2d 324, 1989 Wisc. App. LEXIS 596
CourtCourt of Appeals of Wisconsin
DecidedJune 13, 1989
Docket88-1356-CR
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 444 N.W.2d 420 (State v. DeSmidt) 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. DeSmidt, 444 N.W.2d 420, 151 Wis. 2d 324, 1989 Wisc. App. LEXIS 596 (Wis. Ct. App. 1989).

Opinions

LaROCQUE, J.

The state appeals an order suppressing as evidence the business records and patient files of Woodrow A. DeSmidt, Jr., a Green Bay dentist, seized pursuant to a search warrant. DeSmidt is charged with nine counts of medical assistance fraud and four counts of insurance fraud.

The principal appeal is authorized by sec. 974.05(l)(d)2, Stats., permitting review of a final order [327]*327adverse to the state that suppresses evidence. The circuit court agreed with DeSmidt that the warrant failed to adequately particularize the things subject to seizure, thus delegating a constitutionally unacceptable discretion to the police. DeSmidt argues, alternatively, that if this court concludes that the warrant authorized a seizure of all of his records, then it constitutes a "general warrant" and fails because the affidavit in support lacked probable cause to justify so broad a search. We hold that although the warrant was directed to all of DeSmidt's records and files and delegated no discretion, the supporting affidavit failed to establish a sufficiently pervasive fraudulent scheme so as to justify a comprehensive seizure of all records and files. We therefore affirm the suppression order.

DeSmidt cross-appeals an order allowing the state to substitute a copy of the lost original affidavit and complaint supporting the search warrant. Because the copies were properly authenticated and therefore reconstructed rather than supplemented the original records, we affirm the trial court's ruling on this issue.

We first address DeSmidt's cross-appeal challenging the state's substitution of copies of the lost documents because, if the trial court erred, there is no record on which the state can seek review. After conducting an evidentiary hearing on the issue, the trial court made the following findings:

This Court is satisfied by evidence beyond a reasonable doubt that the copies of the complaint and affidavit are exact copies . . . and were the basis upon which the warrant was issued. Attorney [General] McConnell testified that the affidavit was prepared by him, and executed... by Investigator Isely in his presence . . . that the affidavit itself. . . was Xeroxed. . . that Judge Grant signed a warrant after [328]*328reviewing an affidavit, that he notarized Mr. Isely's signature on a complaint, and that those documents were then taken to the Brown County District Attorney's office for Xeroxing. This Court finds it particularly relevant that the copies ... are not blank copies, but are photocopies of executed documents, including the signatures of Mr. Isely and Judge Grant on the complaint, and Mr. Isely and Mr. McConnell on the affidavit. . . . While this Court will acknowledge that the possibility does exist that the State had the opportunity to substitute the original affidavit with another document subsequent to its review by Judge Grant, this Court is satisfied by evidence beyond a reasonable doubt that that did not occur in this case. That possibility would also exist as it concerns the complaint, although with the caveat that Judge Grant's signature does appear on the proffered copy. This Court is aware of the ability to alter documents by the use of a word processor. However, this Court is again satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that that was not done . . ..

The defense presented no evidence that would contradict these findings. The trial court's findings of fact will not be upset unless they are against the great weight and clear preponderance of the evidence. State v. Bembenek, 111 Wis. 2d 617, 631, 331 N.W.2d 616, 623 (Ct. App. 1983). Section 968.22, Stats., provides: "Effect of technical irregularities. No evidence seized under a search warrant shall be suppressed because of technical irregularities not affecting the substantial rights of the defendant." The trial court's order permitting the use of copies is affirmed.

Turning to the state's appeal of the suppression order, we address first whether the warrant delegated [329]*329discretion to the police to decide which records it should seize. The warrant provides in relevant part:

WHEREAS, John P. Isely, Jr., has this day complained . . . that. . ..
there are now located and concealed certain things, to wit:
Patient charts and dental records, recording among other things, services performed, dates of service; X-ray negatives in envelopes attached to the individual patient dental records; business records including but not limited to, appointment book or books, copies of patient statements, receipt book or books, fee schedule, ledgers, daily business summaries, remittance forms; Medicaid provider handbooks.
which things . . ..
[ . . . may constitute evidence of a crime, to wit: medical assistance fraud committed in violation of Section 49.49(1) (a) . . . and fraudulent insurance claims in violation of sec. 943.395 . . ..]
NOW, THEREFORE, . . . you are commanded forthwith to search ... for said things, and if . . . found,
[to bring the same. . . before the Circuit Court. . ..]

The subordinate clause "which things may constitute evidence of a crime, to wit: medical assistance fraud . . . and fraudulent insurance claims ..." merely expresses the purpose of the search. It is part of the "WHEREAS" clause that precedes the actual order for the search. Contrary to the trial court's holding, the [330]*330clause is not a directive to the officer to conduct an on-the-premises quasi-judicial examination of the records to determine their evidentiary value. It is merely part of the formal recitation of the magistrate's findings based upon the complaint and affidavit.

We recognize that almost any directive to seize documents will necessitate a limited discrimination by the police. Obviously records must be summarily reviewed to assure that they fall within the recited description. This is a ministerial task, however, not a discretionary one. That the records "may constitute evidence of a crime" was the decision of the magistrate when he issued the warrant and not a judgment of the officer when he executed it. We therefore conclude that the warrant stated authorization for the seizure of all of DeSmidt's records and did not unlawfully delegate discretion to the police.

The more difficult issue is whether the government's affidavit established probable cause to seize all of the business and patient files or whether the magistrate issued a forbidden "general warrant." Because this issue is especially fact-sensitive, we set out the affidavit verbatim in the appendix. DeSmidt does not challenge the reliability of the named informant, Harriet Helene Berger, an employee in his office for ten or eleven weeks during the summer of 1985. Rather, he challenges the sufficiency of her information to support so broad a search. Berger stated that "in her judgment DeSmidt was engaged in a series of illegal activities," and then detailed a description of six specific patients by name or identifying number, date, and fraudulent treatment history. She described those incidents as "common practice," done "routinely," and as "examples," i.e., ones that serve as a pattern. Berger also claimed that comparison of business records of DeSmidt and his partner "would

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

Related

State v. Eason
2001 WI 98 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 2001)
State v. Eason
2000 WI App 73 (Court of Appeals of Wisconsin, 2000)
State v. Ward
588 N.W.2d 645 (Court of Appeals of Wisconsin, 1998)
State v. DeSmidt
454 N.W.2d 780 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1990)
State v. DeSmidt
444 N.W.2d 420 (Court of Appeals of Wisconsin, 1989)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
444 N.W.2d 420, 151 Wis. 2d 324, 1989 Wisc. App. LEXIS 596, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-desmidt-wisctapp-1989.