State v. Reed

2013 WI App 132, 839 N.W.2d 877, 351 Wis. 2d 517, 2013 WL 5732721, 2013 Wisc. App. LEXIS 886
CourtCourt of Appeals of Wisconsin
DecidedOctober 23, 2013
DocketNo. 2012AP2191-CR
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 2013 WI App 132 (State v. Reed) 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. Reed, 2013 WI App 132, 839 N.W.2d 877, 351 Wis. 2d 517, 2013 WL 5732721, 2013 Wisc. App. LEXIS 886 (Wis. Ct. App. 2013).

Opinion

NEUBAUER, PJ.

¶ 1. In this case, we uphold the circuit court's choice of remedy when a defendant breaches his or her plea agreement by committing new crimes. Carl A. Reed pled no contest to substantial battery in exchange for the dismissal of three other counts and the State's promise to make no recommendation at sentencing. Under the agreement, the State reserved the right to withdraw from the agreement if Reed "commits any new or additional crime(s)." Pending sentencing, Reed was charged with new crimes. The circuit court found that these newly charged crimes [520]*520constituted a breach of the plea agreement. The circuit court went ahead with sentencing, allowing the State to change its recommendation and denying Reed's request to withdraw his plea. We agree with the circuit court that Reed breached the plea agreement. Furthermore, we conclude that the circuit court's choice of remedy, to hold Reed to his plea and allow the State to recommend time at sentencing, was an appropriate exercise of discretion. We affirm.

FACTS

¶ 2. Reed and the State entered into a plea agreement after Reed was charged with substantial battery, misdemeanor theft, first-degree reckless endangerment and misdemeanor bail jumping, all as a repeater. Under the plea agreement, Reed pled no contest to the battery. He also agreed, among other things, that the State could withdraw from the agreement "at any time prior to sentencing if the defendant violates any bail condition(s), [or] commits any new or additional crime(s)." The State agreed to dismiss and read in the remaining charges and to "make no specific recommendation at sentencing." The circuit court took Reed's plea. Less than two months later, the Kenosha County District Attorney's office filed a new complaint against Reed, this one alleging battery, operating a vehicle without the owner's consent, disorderly conduct/domestic abuse and operating a motor vehicle after revocation.

¶ 3. Reed's case proceeded to sentencing. At the sentencing hearing, defense counsel told the circuit court that the State had notified the defense that, due to the new charges, the State did not intend to follow through with its obligation under the plea agreement to make no sentencing recommendation. The State contended that Reed violated the agreement by committing [521]*521a new crime. Defense counsel argued that Reed's newly charged offenses had not been proven, so the State should not be allowed to withdraw from the plea agreement. Defense counsel indicated that if the State made a sentencing recommendation in violation of the plea agreement, the defense would ask the court to withdraw the plea. The State maintained that the new charges violated the plea agreement because Reed waived his preliminary hearing; probable cause was found. The circuit court found that Reed had violated the plea agreement and that the State could make "a different recommendation." The State recommended three years and six months in prison followed by extended supervision. Defense counsel asked for probation. The circuit court sentenced Reed to three years' initial confinement and two years' extended supervision. The circuit court denied Reed's postconviction motion to withdraw his plea.

DISCUSSION

¶ 4. On appeal, Reed argues that the State breached the plea agreement by recommending time at sentencing and that, as a remedy, Reed should be allowed to withdraw his plea. Reed admits that whether the State breached the plea agreement depends on whether he himself breached the agreement by committing new crimes. Reed argues that at sentencing it was not known whether he had committed a new crime; the probable cause finding was not proof of guilt. The State responds that the circuit court correctly concluded that Reed substantially and materially breached the plea agreement due to the newly filed charges against him. Finally, the State argues that the circuit court appro[522]*522priately exercised its discretion in allowing the State to hold Reed to his plea and recommend time at sentencing.

¶ 5. We agree with the State. Reed's newly charged offenses were a substantial and material breach of the plea agreement. The State was entitled to a remedy. Under the totality of the circumstances, it was within the circuit court's discretion to allow the State to make a recommendation. We first address Reed's conduct as a material and substantial breach, then turn to the remedy.

Reed's Alleged Conduct Constitutes a Substantial and Material Breach of the Plea Agreement.

¶ 6. We review the circuit court's determination that there was a breach of the plea agreement, and that the breach was material and substantial, de novo. State v. Williams, 2002 WI 1, ¶ 5, 249 Wis. 2d 492, 637 N.W.2d 733. We review the circuit court's findings regarding the underlying terms of the plea agreement and the historical facts of the parties' conduct under the clearly erroneous standard. Id.

¶ 7. Not every breach of a plea agreement requires a remedy. State v. Howard, 2001 WI App 137, ¶ 15, 246 Wis. 2d 475, 630 N.W.2d 244. To entitle the nonbreaching party to relief, the breach must deprive the nonbreaching party of a substantial and material benefit for which the party bargained. See id.; State v. Robinson, 2002 WI 9, ¶ 20, 249 Wis. 2d 553, 638 N.W.2d 564, abrogated on other grounds by State v. Kelty, 2006 WI 101, ¶ 39, 294 Wis. 2d 62, 716 N.W.2d 886.

¶ 8. Reed argues that the filing of new charges against him does not mean that he violated that portion of the plea agreement indicating that the State may [523]*523withdraw if he violates bail conditions or commits new crimes. According to the criminal complaint filed in the new case, Reed admitted to driving while his license was revoked. The circuit court observed, and Reed does not dispute, that the alleged conduct constitutes felony bail jumping. Rather, Reed argues that probable cause findings do not "rise to the level of clear and convincing evidence required for a finding that he breached the plea agreement."

¶ 9. We agree with the circuit court that it would be unreasonable to conclude that the promise to commit no new crimes requires a conviction to be enforceable. The State would not have bargained for a condition that would require the whole panoply of criminal proceedings, not to mention the delay, before the parties could determine if Reed had fulfilled his part of the plea agreement. More to the point, the charging of new crimes and probable cause findings bear directly on sentencing and, consequently, the State's recommendation. "In Wisconsin, sentencing courts are obliged to acquire 'full knowledge of the character and behavior pattern of the convicted defendant before imposing sentence.'" See State v. Leitner, 2002 WI 77, ¶ 45, 253 Wis. 2d 449, 646 N.W.2d 341 (citation omitted). Thus, at sentencing, the State is allowed to bring forth, and the circuit court may consider, pending charges. Id. (court may consider unproven crimes and even alleged crimes of which the defendant has been acquitted); State v. McQuay, 154 Wis. 2d 116, 126, 452 N.W.2d 377 (1990) ("In determining the character of the defendant and the need for his [or her] incarceration and rehabilitation, the court must consider whether the crime is an isolated act or a pattern of conduct. Evidence of unproven offenses involving the defendant may be considered by [524]*524the court for this purpose.");

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Bluebook (online)
2013 WI App 132, 839 N.W.2d 877, 351 Wis. 2d 517, 2013 WL 5732721, 2013 Wisc. App. LEXIS 886, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-reed-wisctapp-2013.