Vol. 76, No. 10, October
2003
Court of Appeals Digest
This column summarizes selected published
opinions of the Wisconsin Court of Appeals. Prof. Daniel D. Blinka and
Prof. Thomas J. Hammer invite comments and questions about the digests.
They can be reached at the Marquette University Law School, 1103 W.
Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53233, (414) 288-7090.
by Prof. Daniel D. Blinka &
Prof. Thomas J. Hammer
Attorney
Fees
Reasonableness - Local Rules - Referees
Kolupar v. Wilde Pontiac
Cadillac Inc., 2003 WI App 175 (filed 22 July 2003) (ordered
published 27 Aug. 2003)
Kolupar bought a used Mercedes automobile in 1994. She sold the car
later that same year for substantially less than she paid for it. In
2000 Kolupar sued the car dealer and the salesman for fraud relating to
the car's poor condition. The case "ballooned into a morass of discovery
disputes" and "general inefficiency," yet the parties eventually settled
the matter when Kolupar accepted about $6,000 (much more than she
received for the car). The remaining issue concerned the amount of
reasonable attorney fees owed to Kolupar's attorney, whose fees had
swelled to $53,000 (¶ 5). After "untangling the messy record" with
the assistance of a discovery referee, the trial court determined that
Kolupar's lawyer was entitled to $15,000. The judge refused, however, to
admit into evidence an invoice submitted by Kolupar's lawyer, because it
had not been provided to opposing counsel in a timely fashion as
required by local court rules.
The court of appeals, in a decision authored by Judge Curley,
affirmed. First, the trial court properly excluded the invoice under the
local rule that controlled "motions," including those seeking attorney
fees. "The rule attempts to insure that the parties are completely
prepared to argue their positions prior to the hearing and guards
against the possibility that one side will be 'ambushed' by new
material" (¶ 10). Moreover, any error in excluding the invoice was
harmless because the trial judge never disputed counsel's claim that he
honestly worked the hours claimed; rather, the judge determined that
$15,000 represented a reasonable amount of compensation. Second, the
trial court properly relied on the recommendation of its "discovery
referee," a former judge who recommended the $15,000 amount. Third, the
trial judge applied the correct legal standard in setting the amount of
attorney fees, "including the time and labor required, the novelty and
difficulty of the questions involved, the skill requisite to perform the
legal service properly, the amount involved, and the results obtained.
The trial court also properly considered whether the costs could have
been avoided by a reasonable and prudent effort" (¶ 17). (The final
issue involved a wrangle over whether taxable costs had been
assessed.)
Judge Fine dissented, particularly because of the trial court's
reliance on the referee's "off-the-cuff recommendation." (See
¶ 28.)
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Civil Procedure
Settlement Offers - Double Costs and Interest - Stipulations
Tomsen v. Secura
Ins., 2003 WI App 187 (filed 8 July 2003) (ordered published 27
Aug. 2003)
The plaintiff was injured in an automobile accident. In July 2002, he
offered to settle the case for $200,000 under auspices of Wis. Stat.
section 807.01. The defense rejected the offer but, after losing a
critical motion, made its own section 807.01 settlement offer of
$450,000 in December 2002. The plaintiff accepted the offer, the parties
stipulated to a judgment, and then the plaintiff requested double costs
under section 807.01(3) and interest under section 807.01(4). The trial
court denied the request.
The court of appeals, in an opinion written by Chief Judge Cane,
reversed, relying on Prosser v. Leuck, 225 Wis. 2d 126 (1999).
"In Prosser, the supreme court determined that Prosser was
entitled to costs and interest, and there judgment was entered on a
stipulation. Similarly, the parties here stipulated to the judgment, and
it was greater than [the plaintiff's] earlier settlement offer. While
[the defense] correctly points out that the issue regarding costs and
interest in Prosser was whether the judgment was 'greater than
or equal to' the settlement offer, rather than whether judgment was
recovered, the supreme court nonetheless approved double costs and
interest on a stipulated judgment greater than the plaintiff's earlier
Wis. Stat. § 807.01 settlement offer. Similarly, the parties here
reached a stipulated judgment greater than [the plaintiff's] earlier
§ 807.01 settlement offer. He is entitled to double costs and
interest" (¶ 8) (citations omitted).
Claim Preclusion - Open Records
Levin v. Board of
Regents, 2003 WI App 181 (filed 3 July 2003) (ordered published
27 Aug. 2003)
Levin retired from the U.W. Medical School faculty in the wake of a
misconduct inquiry. Although Levin ultimately negotiated his retirement,
a committee had issued findings and conclusions that culminated in a
recommendation that he be discharged. Several years later, a public
records request was made for the committee's report. Levin objected and
in October 2000 filed an action against the U.W. Board of Regents
seeking an injunction and damages based on his allegations that the
records had been improperly released anyway. Later, the circuit court
affirmed the records custodian's decision to release the requested
records and dismissed all other claims because Levin had failed to file
a notice of claim. He did not appeal the final judgment. In March 2002
the U.W. received yet another open records request for the same records
from a different person. Based on the earlier action, the U.W. records
custodian again determined that the records should be released. Levin
then began this action to block their release. The circuit court,
however, determined that either claim or issue preclusion barred Levin's
claims, and dismissed the suit. The court of appeals, in a decision
authored by Judge Roggensack, affirmed. "Claim preclusion is a doctrine
that prevents relitigation of the same claim when: (1) there is an
identity of parties or their privies in the prior lawsuit; (2) there is
an identity of claims for relief that were brought, or could have been
brought; and (3) a final judgment on the merits in a court of competent
jurisdiction resolved the first lawsuit.... Claim preclusion prevents
repetitive litigation" (¶¶ 10-11). The only issue here was
whether "having two different requesters for the same records is a
difference material to the analysis under the open records law]" (¶
13). The court held that such a difference was not "material." In
essence, the "identity and purpose of the requester" is not part of the
balancing test that governs whether the records should be released
(¶ 14).
Sanctions - Expert Witness Misconduct - "Incredible" Testimony -
Summary Judgment
Ricco v. Riva, 2003
WI App 182 (filed 23 July 2003) (ordered published 27 Aug. 2003)
The Riccos alleged that the defendant sellers had misrepresented the
condition of real estate the Riccos had purchased. During the summary
judgment process, the judge ruled that the Riccos' expert witness had
misrepresented his qualifications both in this and a prior unrelated
action. For this reason, and because the expert's affidavit was
untimely, the judge ordered it stricken, dismissed the Riccos'
misrepresentation claims, and precluded the expert from testifying at
the trial.
The court of appeals, in an opinion written by Judge Nettesheim,
reversed. First, the court held that the summary judgment record did not
support a finding that the expert witness was "incredible as a matter of
law" (¶ 16). Sharing the trial court's concern that the witness was
"playing fast and loose with his qualifications," the court nonetheless
held that his "specious claims about his credentials" did not render his
opinions "incredible," which would require that his testimony "conflict
with the uniform course of nature or with fully established or conceded
facts" (¶ 17). Nor was the expert so "unqualified" that his
testimony was properly excluded for that reason. Under Wisconsin law,
trial judges play a "limited gatekeeping" role in policing expert
testimony, yet the "reliability" of the expert's testimony is not
properly before the trial judge; reliability is a question of fact for
the jury.
The court next addressed the timeliness of the expert's affidavit.
Although it was filed two days beyond the deadline set by the local
circuit court rule, the affidavit was timely nonetheless because it was
filed within the statutorily prescribed time set forth in Wis. Stat.
section 802.08(2). Since the legislature's intent was to ensure a
uniform statewide practice, the statute controlled over the local rule.
(See ¶ 25.)
Last, the court held that under Wis. Stat. section 100.18(1) the
sellers/owners may be liable for allegedly fraudulent representations
even though their broker is "exempt" for false declarations made in good
faith. The record revealed a genuine issue of fact regarding alleged
false statements by the sellers. ( See ¶ 38.)
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Commercial Law
Holder in Due Course - Good Faith
Mid Wisconsin Bank v.
Forsgard Trading Inc.,
2003 WI App 186 (filed 22 July 2003) (ordered published 27 Aug.
2003)
This case involves the definition of a holder in due course. On May 7
Lakeshore wrote a check to Forsgard Trading (FT) for about $18,000 drawn
on a bank in Ironwood, Mich. FT deposited the check in its checking
account at Mid Wisconsin Bank on May 8 and was given immediate credit on
the deposit. Also on May 8 Lakeshore issued a stop-payment order on the
check. Mid Wisconsin received notice of the stop payment on May 16 and
deducted $18,000 from FT's account. Because of other checks and
transfers, however, the deduction resulted in a negative balance and FT
has never "covered" the stopped check. In a lawsuit brought by Mid
Wisconsin, the trial court granted summary judgment in favor of Mid
Wisconsin on the ground that it was a holder in due course and thus
Lakeshore, the drawer, was liable for the bank's losses.
The court of appeals, in a decision written by Judge Hoover,
affirmed. "Wisconsin courts have approved the practice of extending
immediate credit on deposited checks" (¶ 12). Nor does it matter
"whether, as here, the account had been overdrawn previously" (¶
15). FT had always covered its previous overdrafts and "Mid Wisconsin
had no reason to suspect there would be any problem if immediate credit
was extended for this check" (¶ 15).
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Criminal Law
Child Pornography - Constitutionality of Wis. Stat. Section 948.12 -
Scienter
State v. Schaefer,
2003 WI App 164 (filed 24 July 2003) (ordered published 27 Aug.
2003)
The defendant was convicted under Wisconsin's statute prohibiting
possession of child pornography. See Wis. Stat. § 948.12
(2001-2002). Among the issues on this appeal was the constitutionality
of this statute. The text of the law requires proof that the defendant
"knows or reasonably should know that the child engaged in sexually
explicit conduct has not attained the age of 18 years." The defendant
argued that by allowing conviction for possession of child pornography
when a defendant "reasonably should know" that the child depicted is
under age 18 omits a scienter requirement for the offense.
The issue before the appellate court was whether the "knows or
reasonably should know" language satisfies the "some element of
scienter" that is required under New York v. Ferber, 458 U.S.
747 (1982), and its progeny. In a decision authored by Judge Dykman, the
court of appeals held that it does.
The court concluded that the "reasonably should know" standard is
less than actual knowledge but still requires more than the standard
used in civil negligence actions. The state must show that the defendant
had an awareness of certain facts and information that would have caused
a reasonable person to conclude that the persons depicted in the
materials were minors. As so interpreted, the statute is not
constitutionally infirm for want of some level of scienter.
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Criminal Procedure
Guilty Plea to Drug Offense - Failure to Advise Defendant of
Ineligibility for Federal Health Care Programs
State v. Merten,
2003 WI App 171 (filed 17 July 2003) (ordered published 27 Aug.
2003)
The defendant entered a no contest plea to one felony count of
delivering marijuana. On post conviction motion, the defendant argued
that his plea was unknowingly and involuntarily made because the circuit
court failed to inform him that his conviction would result in
ineligibility for federal health care programs under 42 U.S.C. section
1320a-7(a)(4). This statute excludes individuals convicted of a felony
related to a controlled substance from participating in federal health
care programs. The circuit court denied the motion for plea withdrawal
on this basis.
In a decision authored by Judge Roggensack, the court of appeals
affirmed. The court concluded that the effect of the federal statute
cited above is a collateral consequence of the defendant's plea and
therefore the circuit court was not required to inform the defendant of
the statute's effect prior to taking his plea.
Waiver of Counsel - No Requirement to Advise Defendant Regarding
Sources of Counsel and Sources for Reimbursement of Counsel
State v. Drexler,
2003 WI App 169 (filed 2 July 2003) (ordered published 27 Aug. 2003)
The defendant appealed from a judgment of conviction for a fourth
offense of operating while intoxicated. He argued that, even though he
did not qualify for counsel provided by the State Public Defender, the
trial court's failure to advise him that he had the right to counsel
appointed by the court and paid for by the county (see
State v. Dean, 163 Wis. 2d 503, 471 N.W.2d 310 (Ct. App.
1991)), precluded a knowing, intelligent, and voluntary waiver of his
constitutional right to counsel.
In a decision authored by Judge Anderson, the court of appeals held
that the trial court is only obligated to advise a defendant of the
right to counsel. It is not required, before accepting a waiver of
counsel, to conduct a colloquy that includes specific advice to a
defendant that the right to appointed counsel is broader than the right
to counsel provided by the State Public Defender and includes the right
to counsel appointed by the court and paid for by the county.
The circuit court in this case did not err by failing to advise the
defendant of the variety of sources for appointed counsel and the
variety of sources for reimbursement of counsel. In the view of the
appellate court, only the Wisconsin Supreme Court can answer the
ultimate question of whether, in the future, a defendant's right to
counsel should include a requirement that trial courts provide a more
detailed description of this right.
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Evidence
Hearsay - Videotaped Statement of Child Victim
State v. Snider,
2003 WI App 172 (filed 24 July 2003) (ordered published 27 Aug.
2003)
This case concerns the admissibility of a videotaped statement of a
child victim who alleged that she had been molested by the defendant.
Wis. Stat. section 908.08(2) and (3) establishes several conditions for
the admission of such videotaped statements, such as 10 days prior
notice of the intent to use the tape and a requirement that the
statement be made under oath or affirmation. These requirements were not
met in this case. Nonetheless, the tape was admitted at the defendant's
trial. The circuit judge concluded that section 908.08(7) allowed for
admission of the tape under the residual hearsay exception.
In a decision authored by Judge Deininger, the court of appeals
affirmed. Section 908.08(7) provides that a court may admit into
evidence a videotaped oral statement of a child that is hearsay and is
admissible under Wis. Stat. chapter 908 as an exception to the hearsay
rule. The court agreed with the state's position that the plain language
of this statute permits the admission of a child's videotaped statement
under any applicable hearsay exception regardless of whether the various
procedural requirements of section 908.08(2) and (3) have been met. Put
another way, section 908.08 recognizes two ways for a court to ensure
that a videotaped statement is sufficiently trustworthy to be admitted
into evidence: by requiring the proponent of the statement to comply
with section 908.08(2) and (3), or by requiring the proponent to show
that the statement comes within a hearsay exception. On the facts of
this case, the appellate court concluded that the trial judge applied
the correct legal standard and articulated a reasonable basis for his
decision to admit the videotaped statement under the residual hearsay
exception.
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Family Law
Divorce - Marital Debt - Restitution Ordered Against One Spouse
Only
Sokoagon Gaming Enter. Corp.
v. Curda-Derickson, 2003 WI App 167 (filed 3 July 2003)
(ordered published 27 Aug. 2003)
Lynn and Richard Derickson were married in 1988. In 1994 Richard was
appointed the tribal planner for the Sokoagon Chippewa Community, a
federally recognized American Indian nation. Between 1995 and 1997 he
embezzled more than $370,000 from the Sokoagon Gaming Enterprise Corp.
("Sokoagon Gaming").
Both Richard and Lynn were indicted on several counts in federal
court. Richard entered into a plea agreement and agreed to make
restitution in the amount of the embezzled monies and to forfeit any
right, title, and interest in real and personal property traceable to
assets obtained with the misappropriated funds. Lynn also agreed to
forfeit any right, title, and interest in assets purchased with money
from Sokoagon Gaming but excluding certain specific parcels of real
property. The indictment against her ultimately was dismissed.
Lynn subsequently filed for divorce, and Sokoagon Gaming moved to
intervene as a third party claiming an interest in the real and personal
marital property to be divided by the court. Specifically, it requested
that the court classify the criminal restitution order against Richard
as a marital debt. The circuit court, however, dismissed the request to
classify the restitution order as a marital debt, reasoning that
Sokoagon Gaming had failed to demonstrate that Lynn was involved in the
embezzlement.
In a decision authored by Judge Roggensack, the court of appeals
affirmed. As characterized by the court, the underlying purpose of this
appeal was plain: Sokoagon Gaming wants to recover from Lynn the
indebtedness created by the restitution order and it seeks the court's
ruling that the order is a "marital debt" under Wis. Stat. section
767.255. In the view of the court, Sokoagon Gaming's right to reach
Lynn's property to satisfy the restitution order is not determined by
section 767.255, but instead is driven solely by the classification into
which the obligation falls under section 766.55.
Section 766.55(2)(cm) provides that "an obligation incurred by a
spouse during marriage, resulting from a tort committed by the spouse
during marriage, may be satisfied from the property of that spouse that
is not marital property and from the spouse's interest in marital
property." The appellate court concluded that because the restitution
order was the result of conduct that constituted the tort of conversion,
which was committed by Richard alone, the restitution order is Richard's
sole obligation under the statute.
Sokoagon Gaming also argued on policy grounds that when a marital
estate benefits from a tort committed by a spouse during the marriage,
the subsequent restitution order should be a marital debt. This is
tantamount to applying a "family purpose analysis" to obligations
arising from a tort committed by a spouse. See Wis. Stat.
§ 766.55(2)(b). The court declined to adopt this approach.
Maintenance - Funding an Adult Child's Post-High
School Education
Rohde-Giovanni v.
Baumgart, 2003 WI App 136 (filed 26 June 2003) (ordered
published 30 July 2003)
The parties were divorced in 1992. This appeal involved an order of
the circuit court converting the petitioner ex-wife's original
maintenance award from an indefinite term award to a limited term award
expiring in December 2003. Among other things, the petitioner argued
that the circuit court erroneously found that she could live at the
marital standard of living without maintenance based in part on the
court's failure to consider the expense she was incurring for an adult
child's higher education when calculating her current standard of
living. In a majority opinion authored by Judge Lundsten, the court of
appeals affirmed.
The circuit court found that, during the marriage, the parties never
agreed to pay for their adult children's higher education. Further,
there was no evidence that the parties engaged in saving for college
during their marriage. Thus, the appellate court saw the limited
question before it as being whether funding an adult child's post-high
school education, when there has been no agreement to do so and when
there had been no savings for this purpose during the marriage, is an
appropriate factor in setting maintenance. The court answered in the
negative.
Said the court, "it is undisputed that the circuit court does not
have the power to require [the petitioner's ex-husband] to fund his
child's higher education once the child reaches the age of majority and
graduates from high school.... We conclude that it would be incongruous
to allow maintenance for the purpose of providing the payee spouse with
money to pay for the education of an adult child when the child support
statutes prohibit such payments as child support. The effect of adopting
[the petitioner's] position would be to render the child support statute
prohibition on such payments meaningless" (¶¶ 16-17).
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Insurance
Illusory Coverage - Excess Clause
Janssen v. State Farm Mut.
Auto. Ins. Co., 2003 WI App 183 (filed 1 July 2003) (ordered
published 27 Aug. 2003)
Janssen was injured in a two-car accident while a passenger in one of
the vehicles. Neither driver was insured. Janssen had uninsured motorist
(UM) coverage through a vehicle she owned. And because she lived with
her parents, State Farm also provided UM coverage through their policy.
After her insurer paid the $25,000 limit, Janssen sought to recover the
$25,000 limit under the State Farm policy. Following several hearings
and an earlier appeal, the trial court ruled that State Farm's
antistacking provision was unambiguous, but "when read together with the
excess clause, the policy's coverage was rendered illusory" (¶
5).
The court of appeals, in a decision written by Judge Peterson,
affirmed. The court put the matter succinctly: "The State Farm policy
states that coverage is 'excess to any motor vehicle coverage which
applies to the vehicle or the driver as primary coverage.' Additionally,
the excess coverage is only for 'the amount by which it exceeds the
primary coverage.' However, there is no primary coverage in this case.
The policy does not state whether or how the excess clause is to be
applied where there is no primary coverage. Consequently, the excess
clause is ambiguous" (¶ 12). Moreover, the coverage also was
illusory in light of the "nonowned vehicle provision."
Disability - "Total"
Peterson v. Pennsylvania
Life Ins. Co., 2003 WI App 166 (filed 5 June 2003) (ordered
published 27 Aug. 2003)
Peterson, a rough carpenter, severely injured his heel when he fell
from a roof in 1996. From the date of his injury until June 1999, his
insurer paid him "disability" benefits under a rider that covered
accidents resulting in "total disability." The insurer stopped payments
because it concluded that Peterson was not "totally disabled" as defined
in the policy. Peterson sued the insurer for benefits. The trial court
concluded that "although Peterson could no longer perform rough
carpentry and roofing, he had many transferable job skills that
qualified him for employment in at least four occupational areas"
(¶ 10).
The court of appeals, in a decision authored by Judge Roggensack,
affirmed. First, the court held that "the policy definition
unambiguously provides that an insured is totally disabled only if he
cannot engage in any employment or occupation with normal on-the-job
training and with his current education, training and experience or when
he becomes able to engage in any employment or occupation with
education, training or experience that he can reasonably be expected to
obtain" (¶ 17).
Second, the record supported the trial court's determination. "Here,
Peterson has never tried to find a job, and the record shows he has many
employment possibilities. It is true that the record would not support a
factual finding of disability if it showed that the jobs the court found
Peterson could perform required a college or graduate school
education.... However, the types of employment the circuit court
considered here were those jobs for which Peterson already had the
skills or for which he could reasonably obtain the skills through
on-the-job training"(¶ 19).
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Professional
Responsibility
Client Perjury - Defense Counsel - Narrative Testimony
State v. McDowell,
2003 WI App 168 (filed 22 July 2003) (ordered published 27 Aug.
2003)
The defendant was convicted of robbery, sexual assault, and
kidnapping. The court of appeals, in a decision written by Judge
Schudson, underscored that this appeal "present[ed] the important issue
of whether, and under what circumstances, a criminal defense attorney
may require his or her client to testify in unaided narrative, rather
than in the usual question-answer style, in order to avoid complicity in
the client's perjury. Resolving this issue, [the court] determine[d] and
appl[ied] the standards that ... govern criminal defense counsel's legal
obligations in assessing and responding to a client's possible
perjurious testimony" (¶ 2). More precisely, the court faulted
defense counsel for 1) shifting to narrative questioning without
advising the defendant that he was going to do so and for 2) using
narrative questioning despite believing that the defendant intended to
testify truthfully. Nonetheless, defense counsel's errors were not
prejudicial enough to warrant a new trial.
The signal issue concerned how criminal defense counsel are to handle
situations in which it appears that a defendant will testify falsely, an
open issue in Wisconsin practice (see ¶ 36). Weighing the
contours of the defendant's constitutional right to effective assistance
of counsel in light of sundry ethical rules, the court held that defense
counsel must actually know - not suspect or reasonably believe
- that the client intends to testify falsely. Moreover, defense
counsel's knowledge of the client's intent to commit perjury must be
predicated on "the client's affirmative statement of an intent to lie"
(¶ 44). "To retreat from question-answer in presenting a
defendant's testimony, when the defendant has not admitted any
intent to testify falsely, would be a defining step in a sad parade -
the pathetic parade that so often features the travesty of defense
counsel marching defendants to negotiated guilty pleas and
Alford pleas when defendants maintain their innocence" (¶
44). The predicate showing of a client's confessed intent to commit
perjury will be excused only in "extraordinary circumstances" (¶
47).
The court then turned to the protocol that governs defense counsel
who have such actual knowledge based on the client's admission. "If,
however, a defendant informs counsel of the intention to testify
falsely, counsel's 'first duty ... is to attempt to dissuade the client
from the unlawful course of conduct.' Cynics aside, we do not dismiss
the persuasive power of counsel to do so on ethical, legal, and moral
grounds. Additionally, counsel may be persuasive on pragmatic grounds.
By explaining what may be the evidentiary weakness of the false account,
counsel can describe the likely consequences that, obviously, the
defendant does not desire. Such consequences may include a greater
likelihood of conviction brought about by a defendant's incredible
account, a longer sentence, and the potential for a perjury prosecution.
Thus, as the Supreme Court has emphasized, defense counsel's effort to
dissuade a defendant from testifying falsely is wholly consistent with
counsel's representation of a defendant's interests" (¶53)
(citations omitted).
And what happens when the client, unpersuaded, persists in his or her
perjurious plan? In particular, how does counsel balance the "duties of
zealous advocacy, confidentiality and loyalty to the client on the one
hand, and a responsibility to the courts and our truth-seeking system of
justice on the other[?]" The court held that "only narrative questioning
fairly accounts for both counsel's allegiance to the client and duty to
the court. Only full disclosure to the court, followed by narrative
questioning, provides the appropriate 'method of effectuating both the
right of the accused to testify and the duty of a defense lawyer not to
assist in presenting known perjured testimony'" (¶ 54) (citations
omitted).
The court then cogently summarized the required protocols in several
paragraphs, which are reproduced here for the reader's convenience.
"Therefore, if the attempt to turn the defendant away from perjury is
unsuccessful, counsel must inform the defendant that: (1) he or she may
move to withdraw; (2) future counsel will have to operate under the same
legal standards, thus bringing about the likely repetition of the
current circumstance; and (3) if continuing as counsel, he or she will
not be allowed to suborn perjury and, therefore, will only be able to
question the defendant by asking the usual formal, introductory
questions, followed by a question or two eliciting a narrative response.
Counsel must explain what that would entail and advise the defendant of
the need to provide the full, intended account without added assistance
of question-answer or redirect questioning to further the perjurious
account.
"If unable to dissuade a defendant from testifying falsely, counsel,
outside the presence of the jury of course, must advise opposing counsel
and the trial court before the defendant testifies. The court, in turn,
must examine counsel and the defendant to ensure a clear and full record
of: (1) the basis for counsel's conclusion that the defendant intends to
testify falsely; (2) the defendant's understanding of the right to
testify, notwithstanding the intent to testify falsely; and (3) the
defendant's, and counsel's, understanding of the nature and limitations
of the narrative questioning that will result" (¶¶ 56-57).
(Because of space limitations, the court's application of the rule to
the facts will not be summarized further.)
The court also resolved several ancillary issues. It held that the
defendant had not, in fact, requested new counsel, thus obviating any
consideration of whether the court properly denied such a demand. It
also rejected claims relating to jury instructions and sentencing.
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