State v. Keith A. Talley

CourtCourt of Appeals of Wisconsin
DecidedMay 30, 2025
Docket2024AP000830-CR
StatusUnpublished

This text of State v. Keith A. Talley (State v. Keith A. Talley) 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. Keith A. Talley, (Wis. Ct. App. 2025).

Opinion

COURT OF APPEALS DECISION NOTICE DATED AND FILED This opinion is subject to further editing. If published, the official version will appear in the bound volume of the Official Reports. May 30, 2025 A party may file with the Supreme Court a Samuel A. Christensen petition to review an adverse decision by the Clerk of Court of Appeals Court of Appeals. See WIS. STAT. § 808.10 and RULE 809.62.

Appeal No. 2024AP830-CR Cir. Ct. No. 2011CF38

STATE OF WISCONSIN IN COURT OF APPEALS DISTRICT IV

STATE OF WISCONSIN,

PLAINTIFF-RESPONDENT,

V.

KEITH A. TALLEY,

DEFENDANT-APPELLANT.

APPEAL from a judgment and an order of the circuit court for Adams County: PAUL S. CURRAN, Judge. Affirmed.

Before Kloppenburg, P.J., Graham, and Nashold, JJ.

Per curiam opinions may not be cited in any court of this state as precedent

or authority, except for the limited purposes specified in WIS. STAT. RULE 809.23(3). No. 2024AP830-CR

¶1 PER CURIAM. In this appeal, Keith A. Talley challenges the circuit court’s order denying his postconviction motion seeking modification of the sentence that the court imposed after revocation of probation, based on the existence of two new factors. Talley argues that the substance of the transcript of the original sentencing hearing in 2014, which was not available at the time of the 2022 sentencing after revocation, as well as a psychosexual report completed after the 2022 sentencing after revocation and the testimony of its author, constitute new factors that warrant sentence modification. Talley requests that this court reverse the order denying his motion and remand to the circuit court to exercise its discretion to modify the sentence based on the new factors.1

¶2 We conclude that neither the substance of the sentencing transcript nor the psychosexual report and testimony constitute a new factor, and, accordingly, we affirm.

BACKGROUND

¶3 In 2011, the State charged Talley with two counts of second-degree sexual assault, contrary to WIS. STAT. § 940.225(2)(c) (2023-24).2 The information alleged that, in 2007, Talley had sexual contact “with a person who

1 The Honorable Charles Pollex presided over Talley’s original sentencing in 2014, and the Honorable Paul S. Curran presided over Talley’s sentencing after revocation in 2022 and ruled on Talley’s sentence modification motion in 2024. For ease of reference, we refer to Judge Pollex as “the sentencing court” and to Judge Curran as “the circuit court.” 2 The State originally charged Talley with one count of second-degree sexual assault and one count of making a visual representation of nudity, but the second count was later amended to another count of second-degree sexual assault.

All references to the Wisconsin Statutes are to the 2023-24 version, because the relevant statutes in effect at the time of Talley’s offenses have not changed.

2 No. 2024AP830-CR

suffers from a mental illness or deficiency which renders that person … incapable of appraising the person’s conduct.” See § 940.225(2)(c).

¶4 In early 2013, Talley was found not competent to stand trial and, pursuant to a court order, was admitted to Winnebago Mental Health Institute for competency restoration. In November 2013, a staff psychiatrist noted that Talley was in the “borderline range of intellectual functioning,” but opined that Talley had regained his competence to proceed to trial.

¶5 In 2014, pursuant to a plea agreement, Talley entered a plea of no contest to one count of second-degree sexual assault of a person who suffers from a mental deficiency, with the second count dismissed and read in. The sentencing court withheld sentence and placed Talley on probation for a period of ten years. In June 2022, Talley’s probation was revoked for violations of his probation conditions. In July 2022, after a hearing, the circuit court sentenced Talley after revocation to ten years of initial confinement followed by five years of extended supervision.

¶6 In February 2024, Talley filed a motion for postconviction relief seeking modification of the sentence after revocation pursuant to WIS. STAT. RULE 809.30(2)(h), based on the existence of two new factors: the substance of the newly available transcript of the original 2014 sentencing hearing, and a January 2024 psychosexual report and expert testimony by the report’s author.3 In March 2024, the circuit court held a hearing on the motion and entered an order denying it, concluding that Talley had not demonstrated the existence of a new factor.

3 Talley also sought a correction of the judgment of conviction to reflect additional sentence credit. This credit was granted and is not at issue on appeal.

3 No. 2024AP830-CR

¶7 Talley appeals.

DISCUSSION

¶8 Talley renews the arguments presented in his postconviction motion, namely, that he is entitled to sentence modification based on two new factors: (1) new or previously overlooked information in the transcript of Talley’s original sentencing hearing in 2014, which was not made part of the record before sentencing after revocation in 2022; and (2) new information or the correction of misinformation regarding Talley’s risk to reoffend as explained in the 2024 psychosexual report and the author’s testimony.

¶9 Circuit courts have inherent authority to modify criminal sentences when a defendant has demonstrated the existence of a “new factor.” State v. Schueller, 2024 WI App 40, ¶26, 413 Wis. 2d 59, 10 N.W.3d 423. A new factor is “‘a fact or set of facts highly relevant to the imposition of sentence, but not known to the [circuit court] at the time of original sentencing, either because it was not then in existence or because, even though it was then in existence, it was unknowingly overlooked by all of the parties.’”4 State v. Harbor, 2011 WI 28, ¶40, 333 Wis. 2d 53, 797 N.W.2d 828 (quoting Rosado v. State, 70 Wis. 2d 280, 288, 234 N.W.2d 69 (1975)).

¶10 Deciding a sentence modification motion based on a new factor is a two-step inquiry. Harbor, 333 Wis. 2d 53, ¶36. First, the defendant must

4 While the definition of a “new factor” refers to facts not known at the “original sentencing,” the parties do not argue, and our research does not disclose, any reason that a sentencing after revocation should be treated differently. Accordingly, we proceed with the understanding that the “original sentencing” at issue here is the sentencing after revocation.

4 No. 2024AP830-CR

demonstrate the existence of a new factor by clear and convincing evidence. Id. We review this determination de novo. Id., ¶33. To meet this burden, the defendant must show both that the fact or facts are “new,” that is, that they were not known to the circuit court at the time of sentencing, and that the fact or facts are “highly relevant to the sentence imposed.” Schueller, 413 Wis. 2d 59, ¶29. “Erroneous or inaccurate information used at sentencing may constitute a ‘new factor’ if it was highly relevant to the imposed sentence and was relied upon by the [circuit] court.” State v. Norton, 2001 WI App 245, ¶9, 248 Wis. 2d 162, 635 N.W.2d 656.

¶11 Second, if the defendant demonstrates the existence of one or more new factors, the circuit court must exercise its discretion to determine whether that new factor justifies modification of the sentence. Harbor, 333 Wis. 2d 53, ¶37. An appellate court reviews this determination for an erroneous exercise of discretion. Id., ¶33.

¶12 As we explain, we conclude that Talley has not established the existence of a new factor. Accordingly, we do not reach the second step of the new factor analysis.

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Related

State v. Walker
2008 WI 34 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 2008)
State v. Norton
2001 WI App 245 (Court of Appeals of Wisconsin, 2001)
State v. Slagoski
2001 WI App 112 (Court of Appeals of Wisconsin, 2001)
Rosado v. State
234 N.W.2d 69 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1975)
State v. Reynolds
2002 WI App 15 (Court of Appeals of Wisconsin, 2001)
State v. Harbor
2011 WI 28 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 2011)
State v. Sobonya
2015 WI App 86 (Court of Appeals of Wisconsin, 2015)
State v. Robert M. Schueller
2024 WI App 40 (Court of Appeals of Wisconsin, 2024)

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Bluebook (online)
State v. Keith A. Talley, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-keith-a-talley-wisctapp-2025.