State v. Rizzo

2002 WI 20, 640 N.W.2d 93, 250 Wis. 2d 407, 2002 Wisc. LEXIS 22
CourtWisconsin Supreme Court
DecidedFebruary 27, 2002
Docket99-3266-CR
StatusPublished
Cited by24 cases

This text of 2002 WI 20 (State v. Rizzo) 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. Rizzo, 2002 WI 20, 640 N.W.2d 93, 250 Wis. 2d 407, 2002 Wisc. LEXIS 22 (Wis. 2002).

Opinions

ANN WALSH BRADLEY, J.

¶ 1. The petitioner, State of Wisconsin, seeks review of a published court of appeals decision reversing Joseph Rizzo's conviction for multiple counts of sexual assault and remanding his case for a new trial.1 The State argues that the court of appeals incorrectly concluded that its expert's testi[418]*418mony constituted Jensen2 evidence, that is, evidence that an alleged victim exhibited behaviors consistent with those commonly observed in sexual assault victims. In addition, the State asserts that the court of appeals erred in determining that a new trial was the appropriate remedy and in concluding that the circuit court improperly denied Rizzo access to the treatment records of the complainant, D.F.

¶ 2. We agree with the court of appeals that the State introduced Jensen evidence. However, we conclude that the proper remedy under the facts of this case is a remand for the circuit court to determine whether Rizzo was entitled to a pretrial psychological examination of D.F. under State v. Maday, 179 Wis. 2d 346, 507 N.W.2d 365 (Ct. App. 1993). Only if the circuit court determines on remand that the defendant was entitled to a psychological examination is a new trial necessary. In addition, we determine that the court of appeals erred in concluding that the circuit court improperly denied Rizzo access to D.F.'s psychological treatment records. Accordingly, we reverse the decision of the court of appeals and remand to the circuit court. On remand, Rizzo's conviction will stand subject to the court's determination under Maday.

I — I

¶ 3. In June 1997, D.F. reported to police that Rizzo had sexual contact with her on several occasions beginning in 1995 and continuing through April or May 1996. She received treatment from Dr. Linda Marinac-cio Pucci, a clinical psychologist, in 1996 after the [419]*419assaults began. The initial treatment lasted about four months, but D.F. returned to Dr. Pucci in the summer of 1997 for additional therapy.

¶ 4. Before trial, Rizzo moved the circuit court to order that D.F. submit to a pretrial psychological examination. He also filed a motion requesting that the circuit court conduct an in camera review of Dr. Pucci's "files, assessments, reports, notes, memoranda, and other records."

¶ 5. In response to Rizzo's motions, the State provided a report prepared by Dr. Pucci, summarizing her knowledge of the case and her treatment of D.F. At a hearing on the motions, the State agreed that the circuit court could conduct an in camera review of D.F.'s treatment records. After conducting the in camera review, the court concluded that Rizzo was not entitled to the treatment records because Dr. Pucci's report fully summarized the contents of the records.

¶ 6. At a subsequent hearing, Rizzo's attorney summarized his position on the requested psychological examination of D.F.:

[DEFENSE COUNSEL]: As far as the request for independent psychological, our position is with respect to that, that the State is intending to elicit expert testimony from Miss Pucci or Dr. Pucci concerning the issues that would be relevant to an independent fact finder's evaluation of whether a [sic] not a person is a victim of a sexual assault. Then we believe that the predicate is laid based on the Maday criteria for the Court to order the alleged victim make herself available for independent psychiatric evaluation.

(Emphasis added.) In response, the State represented that it had initially intended to elicit Jensen evidence from Dr. Pucci. However, the State explained, after [420]*420reviewing the case law, it decided not to use Dr. Pucci for Jensen evidence. The prosecutor stated:

I will withdraw questions of Dr. Pucci in the area of Jensen type of evidence .... I am going to represent now, and will not intend on direct examination, subject to the defense opening the door based on cross-examination, elicit expert Jensen type testimony from Dr. Pucci.... If I do think it is necessary to elicit some Jensen testimony, I will call another expert and certainly put the Court and defense on notice with a curriculum vitae attached.

Based on the State's representations, the circuit court concluded that Rizzo was not entitled to the requested psychological examination of D.F.

¶ 7. At trial, Dr. Pucci gave extensive factual testimony with regard to her knowledge and treatment of D.F. Following this testimony, Dr. Pucci responded to the prosecutor's questions as to why "someone would, in this position" not immediately report a sexual assault. She testified that often people are reluctant to report sexual assaults because of threats by the assailant, embarrassment, or a fear that no one will believe them. Rizzo objected to this evidence and renewed his request for D.F.'s treatment records. The court overruled Rizzo's objection to the evidence and denied his request for the records. The jury found Rizzo guilty, and he appealed.

¶ 8. The court of appeals determined that the State had reneged on its pretrial representation that it would not present Jensen evidence, thus precluding a "level playing field" under Maday. The court's decision in Maday requires that given certain prerequisites, a defendant must have the opportunity to show a "compelling need" for the complainant to submit to a pretrial psychological examination. See 179 Wis. 2d at 360. The court of appeals also determined that the circuit court [421]*421should have granted Rizzo access to D.F.'s treatment records. Concluding that Rizzo was denied his rights to due process and a fair trial, the court reversed Rizzo's conviction and remanded his case for a new trial.

II

¶ 9. This case presents several issues. We must first address a threshold question of whether Dr. Pucci gave Jensen testimony as an expert within the scope of Maday. Because we conclude that she did after the State represented she would not, we must also determine whether the court of appeals correctly concluded that a new trial was the proper remedy. Finally, we must decide whether the court of appeals correctly determined that Rizzo was improperly denied access to D.F.'s treatment records. In addressing the questions before us, we begin with a discussion of the two cases that form the backdrop for the issues in this case, Jensen and Maday.

III

¶ 10. In State v. Jensen, 147 Wis. 2d 240, 432 N.W.2d 913 (1988), this court considered the admissibility of expert testimony that a child sexual assault complainant's behavior was consistent with the behaviors of sexual assault victims. The complainant in Jensen delayed in reporting an alleged sexual assault to several family members and told others nothing at all. 147 Wis. 2d at 243-44. The first person she told about the alleged assault was her school guidance counselor, who met with her because she had been "acting out" in class, writing a lot of notes to boys, wearing tight clothes, and had pinched a boy's buttocks. Id. at 244.

¶ 11. At trial, the counselor testified as an expert on the behavior of sexually abused children. Jensen, [422]*422147 Wis. 2d at 245.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
2002 WI 20, 640 N.W.2d 93, 250 Wis. 2d 407, 2002 Wisc. LEXIS 22, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-rizzo-wis-2002.