State v. Washington

419 N.W.2d 275, 142 Wis. 2d 630, 1987 Wisc. App. LEXIS 4352
CourtCourt of Appeals of Wisconsin
DecidedDecember 16, 1987
DocketNo. 86-2062-CR
StatusPublished

This text of 419 N.W.2d 275 (State v. Washington) 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. Washington, 419 N.W.2d 275, 142 Wis. 2d 630, 1987 Wisc. App. LEXIS 4352 (Wis. Ct. App. 1987).

Opinion

BROWN, P.J.

Howard Washington appeals from convictions for reckless use of a weapon and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. We deem three issues to be dispositive on appeal: (1) whether Washington waived his right to claim error based on the trial court’s having apparently left the final decision on an offer of mistrial to him rather than to his attorney; (2) whether by declining the trial court’s offer of mistrial Washington waived all alleged error occurring prior to the declined offer; and (3) whether the trial court committed prejudicial error in submitting Wis J I — Criminal 255 to the jury, impermissibly allowing the jury to find guilt on a date and offense not charged in the information. Because we conclude Washington has waived any claim of error based on the trial court’s offer of a mistrial and because we find his arguments unpersuasive on the remaining issues, we affirm.

Washington was tried in a three-day jury trial. On the second day of the trial, the trial court became concerned with earlier rulings on the admissibility of evidence as well as the unavailability of a defense witness. Despite denying previous defense motions for mistrial based on similar grounds, the trial court indicated that it would grant a mistrial if it were again requested. The trial court then directed Washington’s attorney to confer privately with Washington regarding his wishes concerning mistrial.

Following this conference, Washington’s attorney questioned Washington to show that he had been informed of the consequences of requesting a mistrial. The trial court then answered questions from Washington regarding what would happen at a new trial. Washington then conferred again with his attorney.

[633]*633After this second conference, Washington stated in response to a question from his attorney, "I would like to go on with the trial.” The trial court then warned Washington that this was not a decision to be made lightly and ascertained that Washington was proceeding against the advice of counsel. After answering several more questions from Washington, the trial court told him that while the decision was his, he should seriously consider his attorney’s advice.

Washington then conferred with his attorney a third time and, upon returning, indicated that he wished to proceed with the trial, whereupon his attorney made the following statement to the court:

I want to put that on the record. I explained to the defendant that in my opinion by going ahead with the case at this time, he is weakening his position with respect to previous motions for mistrial. You can’t at the same time, it seems to me, ask for a mistrial and then not ask for a mistrial.

Defense counsel went on to explain:

... I explained this to the defendant, if the defendant were to ask for a mistrial at this time, we would be bringing a motion pursuant to Jorn v. United States to bar subsequent prosecutions. I explained to him that the court would have to make a determination as to whether or not the matters that have given risen to the — given rise to the mistrial are such that meet the criterion in Jorn.

Washington now argues that it was error for the trial court to ask him, and not his attorney, if he wished to request (and thereby receive) a mistrial. It is Washington’s claim that this is a tactical decision in which all authority for a decision is vested with the [634]*634defense attorney, and does not rise to the level of a fundamental right which the defendant must personally decide. See State v. Neave, 117 Wis. 2d 359, 369, 344 N.W.2d 181, 186 (1984).

However, the issue of whose decision it should be was never raised in the trial court. Our examination of the record reveals that the trial court, without objection from defense counsel, allowed Washington to decline the court’s offer of a mistrial. Washington simply elected not to follow his attorney’s advice and, without any indication to the contrary in the record, it appears that defense counsel was satisfied to follow his client’s choice in this regard.

This issue comes to us on appeal because of one plain, simple and inescapable fact: Washington, despite being urged by both his lawyer and the trial court to follow his attorney’s advice, and despite being warned of the risk of not doing so, nonetheless rejected his attorney’s advice to take up the trial court’s offer of a mistrial and a new trial. Now, after being convicted, Washington seeks to transform his own prior decision on this question into reversible trial court error.

Washington conceals this fundamental flaw in his appeal by arguing an intriguing and sophisticated proposition as to who — the lawyer or the client— should be permitted to make a mistrial decision. Washington overlooks, however, that he was given the very opportunity in the trial court to have that which he now urges on appeal — that his lawyer be permitted to make this determination.

Instead, he disagreed with his attorney’s advice. Faced with the dilemma of this disagreement between client and attorney, the trial court did the only prudent thing. It urged Washington to follow the [635]*635attorney’s advice, advised Washington that his lawyer was the person better equipped to make this decision, and permitted additional consultation on the wisdom of the decision. Ultimately, however, when Washington remained firm in his decision to reject his lawyer’s advice, the trial court, not being confronted with an objection from counsel or a contrary request from Washington, simply proceeded with trial.

Not surprisingly, no one ever objected to the trial court’s decision to follow Washington’s wishes on the mistrial question. An appellate court will generally not review an issue raised for the first time on appeal. Wirth v. Ehly, 93 Wis. 2d 433, 443-44, 287 N.W.2d 140, 145 (1980). Therefore we conclude that Washington has waived his right to claim error.

Not only do waiver principles apply, but judicial estoppel applies as well. Washington insisted on this jury that was impaneled because, the record shows, he did not want to sit in jail until a new jury was impaneled. On appeal, he now raises a position inconsistent with his stand at trial. Now, he wants the court to rule that he should have been entitled to a newly impaneled jury sometime subsequent to the offer of mistrial.

Washington’s inconsistent position presents a classic case of judicial estoppel. See In re H.N.T., 125 Wis. 2d 242, 253, 371 N.W.2d 395, 400-01 (Ct. App. 1985); State v. Michels, 141 Wis. 2d 81, 97-98, 414 N.W.2d 311, 317 (Ct. App. 1987).

Washington has alleged various other errors. All but one of these took place prior to the declination of the mistrial. The state argues that Washington waived these alleged errors by declining the offer of mistrial. We agree.

[636]*636The failure to move for a mistrial constitutes waiver of an alleged error. Staples v. State, 74 Wis. 2d 13, 25, 245 N.W.2d 679, 686 (1976), rev’d on other grounds, Loveday v. State, 74 Wis.

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Related

State v. Neave
344 N.W.2d 181 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1984)
Mulkovich v. State
243 N.W.2d 198 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1976)
State v. Michels
414 N.W.2d 311 (Court of Appeals of Wisconsin, 1987)
Wirth v. Ehly
287 N.W.2d 140 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1980)
Staples v. State
245 N.W.2d 679 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1976)
State v. Dyess
370 N.W.2d 222 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1985)
Loveday v. State
247 N.W.2d 116 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1976)
In Interest of H.N.T.
371 N.W.2d 395 (Court of Appeals of Wisconsin, 1985)

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Bluebook (online)
419 N.W.2d 275, 142 Wis. 2d 630, 1987 Wisc. App. LEXIS 4352, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-washington-wisctapp-1987.