State v. Hudson

2013 WI App 120, 839 N.W.2d 147, 351 Wis. 2d 73, 2013 WL 4799410, 2013 Wisc. App. LEXIS 738
CourtCourt of Appeals of Wisconsin
DecidedSeptember 10, 2013
DocketNo. 2012AP2188-CR
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 2013 WI App 120 (State v. Hudson) 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. Hudson, 2013 WI App 120, 839 N.W.2d 147, 351 Wis. 2d 73, 2013 WL 4799410, 2013 Wisc. App. LEXIS 738 (Wis. Ct. App. 2013).

Opinion

FINE, J.

¶ 1. James C. Hudson appeals the judgment entered on his no-contest pleas to making false [78]*78statements in connection with the sale of securities, see Wis. Stat. § 551.41(2) (2005-06), and to making misleading statements or omissions in connection with the sale of securities, see Wis. Stat. § 551.501(2) (2009-2010).1 He also appeals the circuit court's denial of his motion for postconviction relief.2 He essentially claims that he did not know what he was doing when he pled no-contest, and that there were insufficient factual bases to support his pleas. We affirm.

I.

¶ 2. In November of 2010, the State issued a criminal complaint charging Hudson with six felonies: Count 1—a ten-year felony of theft by fraud, see Wis. Stat. § 943.20(l)(d) & (3)(c); Count 2—a six-year felony of making a false statement in connection with the sale of securities, see Wis. Stat. § 551.41(2) (2005-2006); Count 3—a six-year felony of theft by fraud, see Wis. Stat. § 943.20(l)(d) & (3)(bm); Count 4—a six-year felony of making a false statement in connection with the sale of securities, see Wis. Stat. § 551.41(2) (2005-2006); Count 5—a ten-year felony of theft by fraud, see Wis. Stat. § 943.20(l)(d) & (3)(c); Count 6—a six-year felony of making a false statement in connection with the sale of securities, see Wis. Stat. §§ 551.501(2) & 551.508(1) (2009-2010). The matter was plea bargained, and the State allowed Hudson to [79]*79choose the counts to which he wanted to plead "no contest." Hudson chose Counts 4 and 6.

¶ 3. Count 4 charged that "between January 2006 and March 2007," Hudson "as a person, in connection with the offer, sale or purchase of a security in this state, directly or indirectly made an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements made, in the light of the circumstances under which they are made, not misleading[.]" The Count referenced Wis. Stat. § 551.41(2) (2005-2006). Count 6 charged that "between April 2010 and May 2010," Hudson "did willfully, in connection with the offer, sale or purchase of a security directly or indirectly make an untrue statement of material fact, or omitted to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statement made, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading[.]" The Count referenced Wis. Stat. §§ 551.501(2) and 551.508(1) (2009-2010). The complaint's body set out extensive assertions by the victims to support the charges that Hudson induced them to invest in his musical career by lying to them. The complaint also alleged that those who gave Hudson the money said that they would not have done so if Hudson had not lied to them. The State filed its Information in April of 2011.

¶ 4. In July of 2011, Hudson and his trial lawyer executed a "Plea Questionnaire/Waiver of Rights" form. Hudson represented on the form that he was then 54 years old and had completed "15 years of schooling," adding in handwriting "3 yrs UWM." Hudson also represented: "I understand that the crime(s) to which I am pleading has/have elements that the State would have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt if I had a trial. These elements have been explained to me by my [80]*80attorney or are as follows: [there are two blank lines] A box next to "See Attached sheet" is checked, and the attachment is a pattern Wisconsin jury instruction, "Wis JI-Criminal 2904," headed "Securities Fraud: Making an Untrue Statement of Material Fact in Connection with the Sale of a Security—§§ 551.501(2) and 551.508." (Uppercasing and bolding omitted.) The elements that the instruction says the State would have to prove to a jury beyond a reasonable doubt are, as material to this appeal:

1. The item [offered] [sold] was a security as defined by Wisconsin law.
A [insert applicable term from 551.102(28)\ is a security.
2. The defendant [made an untrue statement of material fact] [omitted to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made not misleading] in connection with the offer, sale or purchase of a security in this state.
["Offered" includes every attempt or offer to sell or dispose of a security or interest in a security for value.]
["Sold" includes every sale, disposition or exchange, and every contract of sale of, or contract to sell, a security or interest in a security for value.]
A fact is a "material fact" if it could be expected to influence a reasonable investor in making a decision whether to purchase an investment.
[A fact is also a "material fact" if the maker of the representation knows that the investor regards the matter as important in making a [81]*81decision whether to purchase an investment, even though a reasonable investor would not regard it as important.]
3. The defendant acted willfully.
"Willfully" requires that the defendant knowingly [made an untrue statement of material fact] [omitted to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made not misleading] in connection with the offer, sale or purchase of a security. Proof of intent to violate the law or knowledge that the law was being violated is not required.

Wis JI—Criminal 2904 (brackets and underlining in the original; footnotes omitted.) The footnote to the sentence that starts "A [insert applicable term from 551.102(28)] is a security" explains, as material here: "In State v. Johnson, 2002 WI App 224, 257 Wis. 2d 736, 652 N.W.2d 642, the court held that offers involving promises to repay loans at above market rates were offers to sell 'securities.' The court adopted the 'family resemblance' test articulated in Reves v. Ernst & Young, 494 U.S. (1990), previously applied in State v. Mueller, 201 Wis. 2d 121, 549 N.W.2d 455 (Ct. App. 1996)." Johnson described the "family resemblance" test by referencing and adopting the Reves analysis:

First, it examined the transaction to determine the motivation that caused the borrower and the lender to enter into it. Second, it examined the "plan of distribution" of the note to determine whether it is commonly traded for speculation or investment. Third, it examined the reasonable expectations of the investing public.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
2013 WI App 120, 839 N.W.2d 147, 351 Wis. 2d 73, 2013 WL 4799410, 2013 Wisc. App. LEXIS 738, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-hudson-wisctapp-2013.