State v. Michael James Birk

CourtCourt of Appeals of Wisconsin
DecidedFebruary 9, 2021
Docket2020AP000349-CR, 2020AP000350-CR
StatusUnpublished

This text of State v. Michael James Birk (State v. Michael James Birk) 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. Michael James Birk, (Wis. Ct. App. 2021).

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. February 9, 2021 A party may file with the Supreme Court a Sheila T. Reiff 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 Nos. 2020AP349-CR Cir. Ct. Nos. 2017CF2669 2017CF2957 2020AP350-CR STATE OF WISCONSIN IN COURT OF APPEALS DISTRICT I

STATE OF WISCONSIN,

PLAINTIFF-RESPONDENT,

V.

MICHAEL JAMES BIRK,

DEFENDANT-APPELLANT.

APPEALS from judgments and an order of the circuit court for Milwaukee County: JEFFREY A. WAGNER, Judge. Affirmed.

Before Dugan, Graham and Donald, 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). Nos. 2020AP349-CR 2020AP350-CR

¶1 PER CURIAM. Michael Birk contends that the circuit court erred when it denied his pre-sentencing and postconviction motions to withdraw his guilty pleas. According to Birk, his trial counsel provided inaccurate information and coerced him to plead guilty with empty promises. Birk argues that he is entitled to withdraw his pleas because the plea colloquy was defective, the pleas he entered were not knowing, voluntary, or intelligent, and his trial counsel provided ineffective assistance of counsel.

¶2 Based primarily on the circuit court’s findings of fact, which are not clearly erroneous, we conclude that Birk has not demonstrated that he should have been able to withdraw his pleas. Accordingly, we affirm.

BACKGROUND

¶3 The State charged Birk with six felonies, all arising out of a home- invasion and sexual assault. After his arrest, Birk allegedly solicited a fellow inmate to murder the victim of these crimes, and the State filed a second complaint charging Birk with conspiracy to commit first-degree intentional homicide. The cases were consolidated for trial, which commenced on January 29, 2018.

¶4 After the proceedings had adjourned on the first day of trial, Birk and his trial counsel met for several hours to review evidence that the State intended to present. This evidence included a recording of Birk’s conversation with the inmate he solicited to murder the victim and a recording of Birk’s confession to police regarding the conspiracy charge.

¶5 On the morning of the second day of trial, Birk’s trial counsel announced that Birk had decided to accept a plea agreement. Pursuant to the agreement, Birk would plead guilty to one count of first-degree sexual assault

2 Nos. 2020AP349-CR 2020AP350-CR

while using a dangerous weapon and one count of conspiracy to commit first- degree intentional homicide. All other charges would be dismissed and read into the record for consideration at sentencing. The State agreed to recommend no more than thirty-five years of initial confinement in prison, and Birk would be free to ask the court for a sentence he thought appropriate.

¶6 The circuit court conducted a colloquy to determine whether Birk was knowingly, voluntarily, and intelligently entering his pleas. In so doing, the court referred to the plea questionnaire forms and addendums for each case, which Birk reviewed with his trial counsel and signed prior to the plea hearing.

¶7 During the colloquy, the circuit court confirmed with Birk that, among other things, his ability to understand the charges and the proceeding was not impaired, he had discussed “everything” with trial counsel and was satisfied with his representation, and nobody made any promises or threats to get him to plead guilty. The court also confirmed Birk’s understanding of the effect of the plea agreement and maximum penalties he faced. Regarding the constitutional rights that Birk was waiving, the circuit court asked, “[s]o you’re going to be waiving those constitutional rights that are contained in the guilty plea questionnaire and waiver of rights form that you’ve signed?” Birk responded in the affirmative. Later in the colloquy, the court mentioned some, but not all, of the specific rights that Birk was waiving by pleading guilty. Pertinent here, the court did not specifically mention that Birk had the right to either testify in his defense or remain silent, and that if he chose to remain silent, his silence could not be used against him.

¶8 The circuit court also questioned trial counsel, who assured the court that Birk was competent to proceed with the guilty pleas, and that Birk was

3 Nos. 2020AP349-CR 2020AP350-CR

knowingly, voluntarily, and intelligently waiving his constitutional trial rights. The court accepted Birk’s guilty pleas after finding that the complaint’s allegations provided a factual basis for the charges.

¶9 According to Birk, he immediately regretted his decision to plead guilty and attempted to contact trial counsel to pursue a plea withdrawal. However, Birk was unable to speak with counsel until the day before sentencing.

¶10 At the outset of the sentencing hearing, trial counsel described the situation and made an oral motion for plea withdrawal. Counsel acknowledged that he could not find any defect in the colloquy and had not identified any basis for Birk to withdraw his pleas under Bangert.1 However, he argued that Birk was entitled to a Nelson/Bentley2 hearing to demonstrate that there was an extrinsic factor outside of the colloquy that rendered the pleas invalid. According to counsel, Birk’s decision to plead had been “done relatively hastily” in the middle of the trial after counsel had been unable to locate an important defense witness. Counsel had advised Birk that “the likelihood of him getting out of prison” if he lost after a trial “was probably slim to none,” and that “the better pathway of getting out of prison was that he should take the deal and basically throw himself at the mercy” of the circuit court. Counsel stated that he might have “overmaster[ed] [Birk] to get him to accept an offer.” He did not “think so,” but it

1 State v. Bangert, 131 Wis. 2d 246, 389 N.W.2d 12 (1986) (providing that, when a defendant shows a defect in the plea colloquy, the court should hold an evidentiary hearing where the State has the burden to prove that the defendant entered a knowing, intelligent, and voluntary plea). 2 Nelson v. State, 54 Wis. 2d 489, 195 N.W.2d 629 (1972); State v. Bentley, 201 Wis. 2d 303, 548 N.W.2d 50 (1996) (collectively providing that a defendant is entitled to an evidentiary hearing if the defendant alleges facts that, if true, would demonstrate that there was some factor extrinsic to the plea colloquy that would render a plea unknowing, involuntary, or unintelligent).

4 Nos. 2020AP349-CR 2020AP350-CR

was “something that somebody else should take a look at.” Counsel asked the court to adjourn the sentencing hearing and appoint new counsel to file a Nelson/Bentley motion. The court denied this request, determining that there was no error in the plea colloquy, and that it had not heard a “fair and just reason” to allow Birk to withdraw his pleas.

¶11 The circuit court then turned to sentencing. Consistent with the plea agreement, the prosecutor recommended a combined thirty-five years of initial confinement in prison for both offenses. Birk argued for twenty to twenty-five years initial confinement and twenty-five years extended supervision.

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State v. Michael James Birk, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-michael-james-birk-wisctapp-2021.