State v. Smith

2018 WI App 66, 921 N.W.2d 532, 384 Wis. 2d 415
Procedural entryThis page is a short order in State v. Smith. Read the opinion of the Court — 366 Wis. 2d 613
Court of Appeals of Wisconsin·Decided September 20, 2018·No. Appeal No. 2017AP2003·Published

Opinion

PER CURIAM.

¶1 Daryl Smith appeals a judgment of conviction for operating while intoxicated, sixth offense, as a repeater. Smith also appeals the denial of his postconviction motion. Smith argues that he received ineffective assistance of counsel in connection with his plea agreement, and that the circuit court erroneously exercised its discretion when it ordered him to pay restitution. We reject Smith's arguments and affirm.

BACKGROUND

¶2 Following a single-car crash that injured a victim, C.B., Smith was charged with sixth offense operating with a prohibited alcohol concentration, resisting an officer, and two counts of obstructing an officer, all as a repeater. Shortly after filing the criminal complaint against Smith, the prosecutor offered to allow Smith to plead without the "habitual criminal penalty enhancer"2 if Smith chose to waive the preliminary hearing and not litigate any pretrial motions. Smith waived his preliminary hearing but filed two motions to eliminate or reduce his cash bond. The State subsequently filed an amended information adding charges for operating while intoxicated, sixth offense, and operating with a restricted controlled substance in blood, sixth offense, both as a repeater.

¶3 Several months later, the State offered Smith a plea deal in which Smith would plead guilty or no contest to operating a motor vehicle while under the combined influence of an intoxicant and controlled substances, sixth offense, without the repeater enhancer. The remaining charges would be dismissed but read in at sentencing. As part of this offer, the State would recommend two years of initial confinement and three years of extended supervision.

¶4 As the trial date approached, the State offered Smith an alternative plea deal in which Smith would plead guilty or no contest to sixth offense operating a motor vehicle while under the combined influence of an intoxicant and controlled substances, as a repeater. As part of this offer, the parties would jointly recommend that sentencing be withheld and that Smith be placed on probation. Smith accepted this plea offer.

¶5 At the plea hearing, the circuit court confirmed that Smith understood the effect of pleading as a repeater. Specifically, the court explained that, in the absence of the penalty enhancer, Smith would be facing a total sentence of six years, including three years of initial confinement. However, with the penalty enhancer, Smith was facing a total sentence of ten years, with up to seven years of initial confinement. Smith confirmed that he understood. The court accepted Smith's no-contest plea and, pursuant to the parties' joint recommendation, withheld sentence and imposed five years of probation. At a later hearing on restitution,3 the court ordered Smith to pay $16,747 to the victim, C.B.

¶6 Smith subsequently filed a motion for postconviction relief alleging that he received ineffective assistance of counsel in connection with his plea and that the circuit court erred in determining the amount of restitution. Regarding the ineffective-assistance-of-counsel claim, Smith argued that his attorney had failed to take steps to enforce the State's agreement to waive the repeater enhancer. The court denied this aspect of Smith's motion after a hearing. Regarding the restitution order, Smith argued that the court did not properly factor in a $50,000 insurance settlement paid to the victim, C.B. After further briefing, the court denied this aspect of Smith's motion by written order. Smith appeals.

DISCUSSION

¶7 Smith makes two arguments on appeal. First, he contends that the State breached its plea agreement, and that he received ineffective assistance of counsel in connection with this breach. Second, he contends that the circuit court erroneously exercised its discretion in setting the amount of restitution. We address each of these arguments below.

Was Smith's Attorney Ineffective With Respect To the Plea Agreement?

¶8 To establish ineffective assistance of counsel, Smith must show that his attorney's performance was deficient and that such performance prejudiced his defense. See Strickland v. Washington , 466 U.S. 668, 687 (1984). In order to establish deficient performance, a defendant must identify counsel's specific acts or omissions that fell "outside the wide range of professionally competent assistance." Id. at 690. In order to establish prejudice, Smith must show that the alleged defect in the attorney's performance "actually had an adverse affect on the defense." Id. at 693. We do not need to address both components of the analysis if a defendant makes an inadequate showing on one. See id. at 697.

¶9 Whether a defendant received ineffective assistance of counsel is a mixed question of law and fact. See State v. Alexander , 2015 WI 6, ¶ 15, 360 Wis. 2d 292, 858 N.W.2d 662. We "uphold the circuit court's findings of fact, including the circumstances of the case and the counsel's conduct and strategy, unless they are clearly erroneous." State v. Jenkins , 2014 WI 59, ¶ 38, 355 Wis. 2d 180, 848 N.W.2d 786. "[W]hether counsel's performance was deficient and whether a defendant was prejudiced thereby, present questions of law that we review independently." Alexander , 360 Wis. 2d 292, ¶ 15.

¶10 Smith argues that his attorney provided ineffective assistance of counsel by failing to recognize that the State had breached its agreement, failing to object to the breach, and failing to properly advise Smith regarding the breach. The circuit court rejected this argument on the grounds that the State did not breach any agreement.4 Specifically, the court found that the State satisfied the terms of its offer when it gave Smith the opportunity to plead without the repeater enhancer, but Smith rejected this offer.

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State v. Smith, 2018 WI App 66, 921 N.W.2d 532, 384 Wis. 2d 415 (Wis. Ct. App. 2018).

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