State v. Leonard

159 N.W.2d 577, 39 Wis. 2d 461, 1968 Wisc. LEXIS 1006
CourtWisconsin Supreme Court
DecidedJune 28, 1968
DocketState 128
StatusPublished
Cited by31 cases

This text of 159 N.W.2d 577 (State v. Leonard) 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. Leonard, 159 N.W.2d 577, 39 Wis. 2d 461, 1968 Wisc. LEXIS 1006 (Wis. 1968).

Opinions

Wilkie, J.

Two issues are presented on this appeal:

1. On resentencing may a defendant be given a harsher sentence than the one originally imposed ?

2. On resentencing was the defendant here given credit for time already served under the original sentence?

Increased Sentence on Resentencing.

The first issue raises a question of first impression in this court. Essentially, defendant’s argument is that the [465]*465imposition, or potential imposition, of a greater sentence upon one who successfully pursues a postconviction remedy resulting in resentencing, or in redetermination of guilt followed by resentencing, unconstitutionally inhibits the seeking of postconviction redress. Defendant argues that his right to challenge the proceedings that led to his conviction and sentence should not be conditioned upon his willingness to submit to the risk of an increased punishment over that which was previously imposed. The state public defender in his amicus curiae brief informs the court that it is the practice of his office to advise all clients on the possibility of an increased penalty if they are successful in their appeal. The defender believes that this possibility discourages many prisoners from challenging the legality of their convictions.

Recently, several courts have dealt with the issue before this court. While many of these cases involve situations in which the defendant has successfully appealed his original conviction, and upon reconviction has been resentenced, we see no good reason for distinguishing those cases from situations involving only resentencing.

A recent annotation at 12 A. L. R. 3d 978 points out that a numerical majority of the decisions from other jurisdictions support the state’s position in this case, i.e., upon reconviction and resentencing for the same crime the sentencing court may increase the sentence and in fact may assess any sentence it believes appropriate within the maximum set by statute and the previous sentence is no limitation upon that authority.

Most courts in the majority have primarily premised their holding on the theory that in obtaining a new trial a defendant assumes the risk of a more severe sentence.2 These courts reason that in asking for and receiving a [466]*466new trial, a defendant must accept the hazards as well as the benefits that could result therefrom.

However, New Jersey and California and some other jurisdictions 3 have declined to follow the majority and have taken a minority position in opposition to allowing an increased penalty.

State v. Wolf 4 involved an appeal by the state from a trial court’s order that the state could not seek the death penalty in the retrial of a defendant whose first conviction and sentence of life imprisonment had been reversed on appeal. The New Jersey Supreme Court, in affirming the trial court’s order, found it unnecessary to decide the case under either the double-jeopardy or the due-process theories, and instead rested its decision on procedural policies, which it said are of the essence in the administration of criminal justice. To set the risk of a man’s life as the price of an appeal from an erroneous conviction, the court reasoned, is a hardship so acute and so shocking that public policy cannot tolerate it. To the state’s argument that many automatic and frivolous appeals would result from the court’s decision, it was said:

“. . . although the objective of deterring automatic and frivolous appeals may be a desirable one, accomplishment of the purpose by confronting the defendant with the possibility of a death sentence, if his appeal is successful, is inhumane since it does not take into account the merits of his claim of erroneous conviction of the homicide charged against him. In a choice between forcing the defendant either to surrender his right to an error free trial as well as his right of appeal, and to accept the life imprisonment sentence, or to put his life at stake again on retrial following a successful appeal, justice can follow only one course. That course is the one demanded by procedural fairness and principles of public policy, namely, prohibition of such a fearsome election, and the restriction of available punishment at a [467]*467new trial to life imprisonment, if a second, conviction results.” 5

The California Supreme Court,6 confronted with a fact situation substantially similar to that involved in Wolf, reached the same conclusion, though on grounds of double jeopardy, that no one should be faced with such a desperate choice.

Several 1967 decisions from courts of appeal from various federal circuits have sparked controversy over the question presently before this court. They present three alternative approaches:

1. Allow more severe sentencing without limitation. United States v. Russell.7

2. Impose an absolute prohibition on increased sentences. Patton v. North Carolina.8

3. Prohibit increased sentences unless events occur and come to the court’s attention subsequent to the first sentence, which events warrant an increased penalty. Marano v. United States.9

In United States v. Russell the defendant had been convicted on eight counts of forgery and two counts of burglary. His sentence was “not less than two years nor more than six.” 10 Defendant’s conviction was set aside on habeas corpus and a new trial was held. The burglary counts were withdrawn and, after a jury trial, defendant was found guilty on the forgery counts. Defendant’s new sentence included imprisonment of “not less than three and one-half nor more than seven years.” 11 After remarking that the new sentence was within the legal limits, the court of appeals from the Third Circuit said:

[468]*468“When he [the defendant] appeared and entered a plea of not guilty at the second trial, the slate had been wiped clean and it was an entirely new case and bore no relationship whatsoever to his previous plea of guilty which he had entered.
“. . . it would therefore seem to be the rule in the federal system that a trial judge, when a new trial is ordered, may impose a sentence greater than one he had earlier vacated, and that it is unnecessary to articulate the reason for any differentiation in the term of the sentence.” 12

In Patton v. North Carolina, the court of appeals from the Fourth Circuit laid down a blanket prohibition against any increase in a sentence on retrial following a successful appeal. Patton, without counsel, pleaded nolo contendere and was convicted of armed robbery. He was sentenced to prison for a term of twenty years. Later, he was awarded a new trial because he had had no counsel. On retrial he was again convicted and the trial judge increased his punishment by sentencing him to twenty-five years (against which the five years he had served were credited).

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Bluebook (online)
159 N.W.2d 577, 39 Wis. 2d 461, 1968 Wisc. LEXIS 1006, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-leonard-wis-1968.