State v. Herrington

165 N.W.2d 120, 41 Wis. 2d 757, 1969 Wisc. LEXIS 1061
CourtWisconsin Supreme Court
DecidedMarch 4, 1969
DocketState 114
StatusPublished
Cited by31 cases

This text of 165 N.W.2d 120 (State v. Herrington) 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. Herrington, 165 N.W.2d 120, 41 Wis. 2d 757, 1969 Wisc. LEXIS 1061 (Wis. 1969).

Opinion

Connor T. Hansen, J.

The defendant was convicted of first-degree murder of one Julie Beckwith, ten years of age, on September 3, 1966, by stabbing her with a knife in an empty lot in the city of Milwaukee.

The second conviction of first-degree murder was the result of the death of Sherryl Thompson, eighteen years of age, on October 16, 1966, by stabbing her with a knife behind a building in the city of Milwaukee.

The conviction of attempted first-degree murder was the result of an attempt to cause the death of one Kathleen Audrey Dreyer, eleven years of age, on November 11, 1966, by stabbing her with a knife in an alley in the city of Milwaukee.

The cases were consolidated for trial and the defendant did not testify. After examining the record, we commend both the prosecutor and the defense attorney for the manner in which the cases were tried.

On appeal, five issues were presented:

(1) Whether defendant did not have a fair trial by an impartial jury such as to deny him due process of law?

(2) Whether defendant’s confessions were properly admitted in evidence against him at the trial?

(3) Whether the trial court’s failure to examine the state’s entire file in camera to discover if the state had any exculpatory evidence denied defendant due process of law?

*763 (4) Whether the failure of the state to disclose the general nature of the defendant’s confession to defense counsel before trial denied the defendant due process of law?

(5) Whether defendant is entitled to a new trial in the interest of justice?

(1) Before trial, the defendant filed a motion requesting a change of venue because of community prejudice, pursuant to sec. 956.03 (3), Stats. The motion was accompanied by appellant’s affidavit plus a sampling of local newspaper articles. The motion was renewed during and after the voir dire examination. The motion was denied each time.

The defendant asks whether a determination by this court that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in denying the change of venue on the ground of community prejudice due to pretrial publicity will, in effect, make the discretion of trial courts an absolute and the change of venue statute a nullity? We think not. The trial judge is charged with the responsibility of making such inquiry of the jurors and taking such steps as may be necessary to insure that the accused receives a fair trial free from outside influences. In the process of making such a determination, should any doubt arise in the mind of the trial judge, the exercise of sound judicial discretion requires that the motion for change of venue be granted.

In Krueger v. State (1920), 171 Wis. 566, 575, 177 N. W. 917, this court indicated the problems inherent in reviewing a change of venue motion:

“The difficulty of impressing upon the record a true concept of the public sentiment in the county is manifest. Just as the trial judge is in a better position to weigh the testimony of witnesses who appear before him, so is he in a better position to judge of the public sentiment of the county. He is on the ground and in a position to sense, in a way that this court cannot, the true sentiment of the community and to judge much more correctly whether it is such as to prevent a fair trial on the part of the defendants.”

*764 While the difficulty of securing a jury should never he conclusive in reviewing a refusal to change venue in a criminal case, precedent has said that it may be taken into consideration.

“ ‘The apparent difficulty or ease of securing a jury can be taken into account in passing upon the alleged abuse of discretion in refusing a change of venue.’ ” Miller v. State (1967), 35 Wis. 2d 777, 785, 786, 151 N. W. 2d 688, quoting from Bianchi v. State (1919), 169 Wis. 75, 93, 171 N. W. 639.

In Miller, where no abuse of discretion was found, the voir dire examination was completed in less than one-half day and a jury of 12 and one alternate was selected from 42 prospective jurors. Biancki found no abuse of discretion partly because the jury was selected in less than a day and required the examination of only 37 prospective jurors.

In this case the record indicates 100 jurors were available for duty. Seven of the panel of 100 were excused because they indicated that they could not render a just and true jury verdict because they had read or heard too much about the case. One other panel member was later excused by the court because she stated she had formed an opinion. The 92 members left on the panel indicated they could render a just and true verdict.

The record does not indicate the length of time it took to select a jury, but only 38 members of the panel were examined in order to produce the necessary jurors. On review of an alleged abuse of the trial court’s discretion in failing to grant a motion for change of venue because of community prejudice and pretrial publicity, the ease of selecting a jury is not a criterion but an indicium.

As indicated in Miller, the more difficult question is whether there was a probability that the defendant was denied due process of law because he failed to receive a fair trial by an impartial jury even though the trial court did not abuse its discretion in refusing to order a change of venue.

*765 In Sheppard v. Maxwell (1966), 384 U. S. 333, 352, 86 Sup. Ct. 1507, 16 L. Ed. 2d 600, the United States Supreme Court determined that it would view the totality of the circumstances to determine whether or not there was a probability of prejudice.

The defendant argues that he should have been permitted to examine individual prospective jurors outside the presence of other prospective jurors on the voir dire.

In State v. Nutley (1964), 24 Wis. 2d 527, 546, 129 N. W. 2d 155, this court stated:

“A determination as to the subjective sincerity of this man [a juror] in expressing his final view of the fairness is a matter within the discretion of the trial court.”

To accept defendant’s argument is to assume that jurors would not admit in front of other jurors that they have prejudged the case. That defendant’s premise is doubtful is demonstrated by the fact that eight jurors in fact did state that they could not render a just and true jury verdict. The court excused all eight.

Nutley, supra, at 546, recognized the following statement from Irvin v. Dowd (1961), 366 U. S. 717, 722, 723, 81 Sup. Ct. 1639, 6 L. Ed. 2d 751, 756:

“It is not required, however, that the jurors be totally ignorant of the facts and issues involved.

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

Related

State v. Oswald
2000 WI App 2 (Court of Appeals of Wisconsin, 1999)
State v. Koch
426 N.W.2d 586 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1988)
State v. Van Straten
409 N.W.2d 448 (Court of Appeals of Wisconsin, 1987)
American Family Mutual Insurance v. Shannon
356 N.W.2d 175 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1984)
State v. Smith
344 N.W.2d 711 (Court of Appeals of Wisconsin, 1983)
State v. Piskorski
419 A.2d 866 (Supreme Court of Connecticut, 1979)
Hammill v. State
278 N.W.2d 821 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1979)
Schultz v. State
264 N.W.2d 245 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1978)
State v. Bad Heart Bull
257 N.W.2d 715 (South Dakota Supreme Court, 1977)
Hoppe v. State
246 N.W.2d 122 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1976)
Garcia v. State
242 N.W.2d 919 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1976)
State v. Amundson
230 N.W.2d 775 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1975)
State v. Dean
227 N.W.2d 712 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1975)
Hemauer v. State
218 N.W.2d 342 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1974)
State Ex Rel. Hussong v. Froelich
215 N.W.2d 890 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1974)
Redepenning v. State
210 N.W.2d 673 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1973)
State v. Wallace
207 N.W.2d 855 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1973)
Leroux v. State
207 N.W.2d 589 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1973)
Mikulovsky v. State
196 N.W.2d 748 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1972)
Bullock v. State
193 N.W.2d 889 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1972)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
165 N.W.2d 120, 41 Wis. 2d 757, 1969 Wisc. LEXIS 1061, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-herrington-wis-1969.