State v. Kopacka

51 N.W.2d 495, 261 Wis. 70, 30 A.L.R. 2d 476, 1952 Wisc. LEXIS 384
Wisconsin Supreme Court·Decided February 5, 1952·Published·Cited by 15 cases

Opinion

Fritz, C. J.

The information alleged that on October 26, 1949, Joseph Kopacka and two accomplices committed the crime of burglary in the nighttime under sec. 343.10, Stats., by breaking into and entering a dwelling of Donald Clark; and alleged in a second count that Joseph Kopacka had theretofore been convicted of burglary. He pleaded not guilty and on August 18, 1950, he served a notice under sec. 355.07, Stats., on the district attorney that he intended to rely upon an alibi as a defense to the charge in the information. Upon the trial of the case in October, 1950, there was proof that on the night of October 26, 1949, Joseph Kopacka, Louis Kopacka, and Frank Maranowicz went to Clark’s dwelling and Maranowicz and Louis Ko-packa forced open a window through which Louis Kopacka and Maranowicz, carrying two flashlights, entered the dwelling and stole some money. Upon a trial the jury found each of the defendants guilty and judgment was entered on October 4, 1950, sentencing them to terms of imprisonment. Joseph Kopacka appealed from the judgment.

On this appeal Joseph Kopacka contends the court erred in refusing to allow him to submit further corroborative evidence in support of a second alibi; and that the court erred in allowing the prosecuting attorney to cross-examine on surrebuttal Louis Kopacka concerning a prior conviction after he had admitted the same.

*72 Sec. 355.07, Stats, (enacted in 1949), provides:

“In courts of record, if the defendant intends to rely upon an alibi as a defense, he shall give to the district attorney written notice thereof on the day of arraignment, stating particularly the place where he claims to have been when the crime is alleged to have been committed together with the names and addresses of witnesses to his alibi, if known to the defendant. In default of such notice, evidence of the alibi shall not be received unless the court, for good cause shown, shall otherwise order.”

Under sec. 355.07, Stats., Joseph Kopacka served the following notice of alibi upon the district attorney on August 18, 1950:

“You will please take notice, that I, Joseph Kopacka, one of the defendants in the above-entitled action at the time of the trial of said action, intend to rely upon an alibi as a defense to the .charges contained in the information filed by you against me in the municipal court for Milwaukee county, Wisconsin.
“. . . You will please take further notice that at the time the alleged offense was alleged to have teen committed I was not at the place the alleged offense was alleged to have been committed, but was in the process of moving furniture from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to Waukegan, Illinois; and that the following-named persons will be relied upon by me to establish the fact that I was so occupied at the time the alleged offense was committed, namely: Emil Kopacka, of 1634 West McKinley avenue, Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Lorraine Kopacka, of 1809-C North Second street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Plelen Bohn of 4413 North Third street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Paul Zeifirakee of 1300 West North avenue, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.”

Written in after the typewritten portion of that paragraph is the name “Louis Kopacka, State Prison, Waupun, Wisconsin.

“Dated this 18th day of August, A. D., 1950, at the city and county of Milwaukee, state of Wisconsin.”

And it appears to be subscribed by Joseph E. Kopacka, who is the named defendant on the trial.

*73 Thus by serving that notice upon the district attorney on August 18, 1950, Joseph Kopacka stated that at the time of the commission of the offense charged in the information he was “moving furniture from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to Waukegan, Illinois.” Upon receipt of the notice the district attorney directed certain police officers connected with the case to make a careful and thorough investigation respecting the alibi. The state relied upon that notice of alibi and as the result of such notice and the state’s thorough investigation it was carefully and fully prepared to meet that alibi on the trial.

However, on the trial defendant Joseph Kopacka testified that on October 26, 1949, when the burglary was committed he was moving furniture from his mother’s home at 2322 North Teutonia avenue, Milwaukee, to 2306 West State street, Milwaukee, and he gave the names of the witnesses. Thus he sought to substantiate a new alibi without giving any previous notice thereof to the district attorney. Emil Kopacka testified that he and Paul Zeifirakee assisted Joseph Kopacka in such moving. But on cross-examination he did not know how many trips were made— possibly three, maybe four or five; and he denied that he had ever been arrested and convicted of a criminal offense. Joseph Kopacka’s attorneys then called Lorraine Kopacka, wife of Emil, as a witness on behalf of Joseph Kopacka, and then the district attorney objected to her proof in support of the new alibi testified to by defendant on the ground that the state received no notice thereof as required by sec. 355.07, Stats. Defendant’s counsel argued there was substantial compliance with the statute. In that connection the following colloquy took place:

The Court: “How have you complied with the provision of the statute that notice is to be served on the district ■attorney ‘stating particularly the place where he claims to have been when the crime is alleged to have been committed?’” Joseph Kopacka’s attorney replied, “He was *74 moving furniture from Milwaukee to Waukegan.” The Court: “Do you contend that this is a compliance with the statute?” Kopacka’s attorney replied, “I do. I claim it is substantial compliance with the statute. The purpose is to advise the district attorney what the defense will be so that they can conduct an investigation. . . . The district attorney knew there was an alibi here. He no doubt had it investigated by his various officers. The mere fact the office was in error, and it may be a typographical error. . . .” The Court: “It is subscribed by the defendant in this case, not by anyone in your office. . . . The court cannot agree with you. There is no substantial compliance with the requirements of sec. 355.07 of the statutes. If the defendant in this case or in any case desired to mislead the state and the district attorney, he could not do it more effectually than by misstating the place where he claimed to have been and in which his defense of alibi would establish he had been as in this case. . . . The court has attempted to find in this record and in the argument presented since the motion has been made by the state some good cause that would justify the court in receiving the evidence of alibi proffered by the defendant, and we can discover no such good cause as the statute contemplates to relax the plain provision of the statute. The motion by the state to exclude evidence of alibi is granted.”

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State v. Kopacka, 51 N.W.2d 495, 261 Wis. 70, 30 A.L.R. 2d 476, 1952 Wisc. LEXIS 384 (Wis. 1952).

51 N.W.2d 495 (State v. Kopacka) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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