State v. Heather L. Steinhardt

2017 WI 62, 896 N.W.2d 700, 375 Wis. 2d 712, 2017 WL 2664936, 2017 Wisc. LEXIS 377
CourtWisconsin Supreme Court
DecidedJune 21, 2017
Docket2015AP000993-CR
StatusPublished
Cited by20 cases

This text of 2017 WI 62 (State v. Heather L. Steinhardt) 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 v. Heather L. Steinhardt, 2017 WI 62, 896 N.W.2d 700, 375 Wis. 2d 712, 2017 WL 2664936, 2017 Wisc. LEXIS 377 (Wis. 2017).

Opinions

¶ 1.

MICHAEL J. GABLEMAN, J.

This is a review of an unpublished per curiam decision of the court of appeals that affirmed the Ozaukee County circuit court’s1 decision that denied Heather L. Steinhardt's ("Steinhardt") motion for postconviction relief. State v. Steinhardt, No. 2015AP993-CR, unpublished slip op. (Wis. Ct. App. Jan. 21, 2016) (per curiam).

¶ 2. Steinhardt argues that her convictions for both failure to protect a child from sexual assault contrary to Wis. Stat. § 948.02(3) (2011-12)2 and first-degree sexual assault of a child under 13 as a party to a crime contrary to Wis. Stat. §§ 948.02(l)(e) and 939.05 violated the Double Jeopardy Clauses of the United States Constitution and Wisconsin Constitution. Therefore, she asks this court to vacate her conviction for failure to protect a child. In addition, she argues that she received ineffective assistance of counsel because her counsel never alerted her to the potential double jeopardy claim. She asks this court to remand her case for a hearing to determine whether her counsel was ineffective.

[718]*718¶ 3. We hold that Steinhardt's conviction for failure to protect a child from sexual assault does not violate double jeopardy because failure to protect a child from sexual assault and first-degree sexual assault of a child under 13 as a party to a crime are not identical in fact. Moreover, we determine that Stein-hardt failed to overcome the presumption that the legislature intended cumulative punishments for her conduct, given that her conduct consisted of two separate acts. We also hold that Steinhardt's claim of ineffective assistance of counsel fails because her counsel could not be deficient for failing to advise her of a potential double jeopardy claim that does not exist.

I. FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

¶ 4. For roughly three years leading up to April 1, 2013, Steinhardt's husband, Walter, repeatedly expressed to Steinhardt an interest in having sex with Steinhardt's daughter, F.G.3 On April 1, 2013, Stein-hardt acquiesced to Walter's requests, and Steinhardt facilitated her husband's sexual assault of the then-twelve-year-old F.G.

¶ 5. According to the criminal complaint, on April 1, "[Steinhardt] went to one of the other rooms w[h]ere F.G. was and brought her into the bedroom that [Stein-hardt] shared with Walter and sat with her on the bed... . Walter was prepared, lying on the bed under the covers." "Walter then told F.G. to take off her clothes at which time [Steinhardt] remained on the bed .. .." Walter then engaged in three sexual acts with F.G.: "Walter engaged in digital penetration of F.G., Walter had F.G. engage in oral sex with him, and ultimately Walter had sexual intercourse with [719]*719F.G." Steinhardt remained seated on the bed throughout the entire assault. After Walter finished, "F.G. left the room to take a shower with [Steinhardt] following her into the bathroom."4

¶ 6. F.G. alerted her biological father of the assault, and he contacted the police. The State charged Steinhardt with failure to protect a child from sexual assault contrary to Wis. Stat. § 948.02(3)5 ("Count 1"), first-degree sexual assault of a child under 13 as a party to a crime contrary to Wis. Stat. §§ 948.02(l)(e) and 939.056 [720]*720("Count 2"), and child enticement contrary to Wis. Stat. § 948.07U)7 ("Count 3").8

¶ 7. Steinhardt pled no contest to all three counts, and the circuit court sentenced Steinhardt to 7.5 years of initial confinement and 5 years of extended supervision on Count 1; 15 years of initial confinement and 10 years of extended supervision on Count 2 (consecutive to Count 1); and 15 years of initial confinement and 10 years of extended supervision on Count 3 (concurrent to Count 2). In total, Steinhardt's sentence amounts to 37.5 years, with 22.5 years of initial confinement and 15 years of extended supervision.

f 8. Steinhardt subsequently filed a motion for postconviction relief. She asked the circuit court to [721]*721vacate her conviction for Count 1. She argued that Counts 1 and 2 are multiplicitous, thereby making her convictions on both counts a violation of double jeopardy. Steinhardt also asked the circuit court to hold a hearing to determine whether her counsel was ineffective for failing to advise her of her potential double jeopardy claim. Steinhardt alleged that she would not have pled no contest if she knew of the possible claim. The circuit court found Counts 1 and 2 were not multi-plicitous and denied her motion. Steinhardt appealed.

¶ 9. The court of appeals affirmed the circuit court. Steinhardt, unpublished slip op., ¶ 1. It determined that "Steinhardt relinquished the right to direct review of her double jeopardy claim" because her claim could not be resolved on the basis of the factual record before the circuit court at the time of Steinhardt's plea. Id., ¶ 8 (citing State v. Kelty, 2006 WI 101, 294 Wis. 2d 62, 716 N.W.2d 886 ("[A] guilty plea relinquishes the right to assert a multiplicity claim when the claim cannot be resolved on the record.")). The court of appeals also determined that Steinhardt's claim for ineffective assistance of counsel failed because Steinhardt did not sufficiently allege prejudice in her postconviction motion to warrant a hearing. Id., ¶ 11 (citing State v. Bentley, 201 Wis. 2d 303, 313-18, 548 N.W.2d 50 (1996) ("A defendant must do more than merely allege that he would have pled differently; such an allegation must be supported by objective factual assertions.")).

¶ 10. Steinhardt then sought review by this court, which we granted on October 11, 2016.

II. STANDARD OF REVIEW

¶ 11. "The issue of whether a person's right to be free from double jeopardy has been violated presents a [722]*722question of law that we review de novo." State v. Trawitzki, 2001 WI 77, ¶ 19, 244 Wis. 2d 523, 628 N.W.2d 801.

¶ 12. Ineffective assistance of counsel is a mixed question of law and fact. Id. This court upholds the circuit court's factual findings unless they are clearly erroneous. Id. Whether counsel was ineffective is a question of law that this court reviews de novo. Id.

III. DISCUSSION

A. Steinhardt's Convictions on Counts 1 and 2

f 13. The Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution9 and Article I, Section 8 of the Wisconsin Constitution10 guarantee the right to be free from double jeopardy. This right provides three protections: "protection against a second prosecution for the same offense after acquittal; protection against a second prosecution for the same offense after conviction; and protection against multiple punishments for the same offense." State v. Sauceda, 168 Wis.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
2017 WI 62, 896 N.W.2d 700, 375 Wis. 2d 712, 2017 WL 2664936, 2017 Wisc. LEXIS 377, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-heather-l-steinhardt-wis-2017.