Case Title: Sauk County v. Aaron J. J.

Citation: 2005 WI 162

Docket Number: 2003AP003349

State: wisconsin

Court: Wisconsin Supreme Court

Date: 2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

Document:
2005 WI 162 
 
 
SUPREME COURT OF WISCONSIN 
 
 
 
 
 
CASE NO.: 
2003AP3349 
COMPLETE TITLE: 
 
 
In the Matter of the Mental Commitment of  
Aaron J.J.: 
 
Sauk County, 
          Petitioner-Respondent, 
     v. 
Aaron J. J.,  
          Respondent-Appellant-Petitioner. 
 
 
 
 
REVIEW OF A DECISION OF THE COURT OF APPEALS 
Reported at:  277 Wis. 2d 590, 690 N.W.2d 25 
(Ct. App. 2004-Unpublished) 
 
 
OPINION FILED: 
December 1, 2005   
SUBMITTED ON BRIEFS: 
        
ORAL ARGUMENT: 
September 27, 2005   
 
 
SOURCE OF APPEAL: 
 
 
COURT: 
Circuit 
 
COUNTY: 
Sauk 
 
JUDGE: 
Guy D. Reynolds 
 
 
 
JUSTICES: 
 
 
CONCURRED: 
        
 
DISSENTED: 
BUTLER, J., dissents (opinion filed).   
 
NOT PARTICIPATING:         
 
 
 
ATTORNEYS: 
 
For the respondent-appellant-petitioner there were briefs 
by Antonette H. Laitsch and Laitsch, Zion & Laitsch, S.C., 
Madison, and oral argument by Antonette H. Laitsch. 
 
For the petitioner-respondent there was a brief and oral 
argument by Chad A. Hendee, corporation counsel. 
 
An amicus curiae brief was filed by Mary Dianne Greenley, 
Madison, on behalf of the Wisconsin Coalition for Advocacy, Inc. 
 
 
2005 WI 162
NOTICE 
This opinion is subject to further 
editing and modification.  The final 
version will appear in the bound 
volume of the official reports.   
No.  2003AP3349  
(L.C. No. 
03 ME 80) 
STATE OF WISCONSIN  
 
 
   : 
IN SUPREME COURT 
 
 
In the Matter of the Mental Commitment of Aaron 
J.J.: 
 
 
 
Sauk County, 
 
          Petitioner-Respondent, 
 
     v. 
 
Aaron J. J., 
 
          Respondent-Appellant-Petitioner. 
 
 
 
FILED 
 
DEC 1, 2005 
 
Cornelia G. Clark 
Clerk of Supreme Court 
 
 
 
 
 
REVIEW of a decision of the Court of Appeals.  Dismissed.   
 
¶1 
PER CURIAM.   Aaron J. J. petitioned this court for 
review of an unpublished court of appeals decision affirming a 
circuit court order that denied his motion to vacate an order 
committing him for treatment under Wis. Stat. ch. 51.  Aaron 
presented one issue in his petition:  Was his constitutional 
right to due process violated when the circuit court accepted a 
stipulation that grounds existed for an involuntary mental 
No. 
2003AP3349   
 
2 
 
commitment under ch. 51 without conducting a colloquy to ensure 
a 
knowing, 
intelligent, 
and 
voluntary 
agreement 
to 
the 
commitment?   
¶2 
After examining the record, along with the briefs of 
the parties and of amicus Wisconsin Coalition for Advocacy, 
Inc., and after hearing oral argument, we have determined that 
some questions which may be essential to the proper resolution 
of this case were either not addressed or not sufficiently 
presented by the briefing and argument.  These questions 
include:  What statutory provision or other law is the source of 
the stipulated procedure that the parties followed in the 
circuit court?  If the subject of an involuntary ch. 51 
commitment 
proceeding 
must 
knowingly, 
intelligently, 
and 
voluntarily waive the right to a final hearing, and if the 
circuit court record does not demonstrate such waiver, what is 
the proper procedure to be followed by circuit and appellate 
courts to determine whether the waiver was knowing, intelligent, 
and voluntary?  If it is determined that the waiver was not 
knowing, intelligent, and voluntary, what are the consequences 
of such a determination? 
¶3 
In addition, we note that this case implicates a 
potential issue of mootness.  At oral argument, the parties made 
clear what the record did not:  Aaron is no longer subject to a 
commitment order.  Although mootness is not necessarily a bar to 
a decision by this court in light of the mootness exceptions,1 
                                                 
1 The mootness exceptions include that: 
No. 
2003AP3349   
 
3 
 
the apparent lack of a live controversy adds to our concerns 
here. 
¶4 
Accordingly, we determine that review in this case was 
improvidently granted, and we dismiss the petition for review.   
By the Court.—The review of the decision of the court of 
appeals is dismissed as improvidently granted. 
 
 
                                                                                                                                                             
the issues are of great public importance; the 
constitutionality of 
a 
statute is 
involved; the 
precise 
situation 
under 
consideration 
arises 
so 
frequently that a definitive decision is essential to 
guide the trial courts; the issue is likely to arise 
again and should be resolved by the court to avoid 
uncertainty; or, a question is capable and likely of 
repetition and yet evades review because the appellate 
process usually cannot be completed and frequently 
cannot even be undertaken within a time that would 
result in a practical effect upon the parties.   
G.S. v. State, 118 Wis. 2d 803, 805, 348 N.W.2d 181 (1984)); see 
also Shirley J. C. v. Walworth County, 172 Wis. 2d 371, 375, 493 
N.W.2d 382 (Ct. App. 1992).   
No.  2003AP3349.lbb 
 
1 
 
¶5 
LOUIS B. BUTLER, JR., J.   (dissenting).  I agree with 
the per curiam opinion that some of the questions which may be 
essential to the proper resolution of this case were either not 
addressed or not sufficiently presented by the parties' briefs 
and oral arguments.  I also agree that this case implicates a 
potential issue of mootness.  Nevertheless, because of the 
important liberty interests that are concerned here for people 
suffering from a mental illness, and because I am uncertain of 
the source of any statutory authority for a so-called "voluntary 
commitment" procedure,2 I would order supplemental briefs in this 
matter.  Accordingly, I respectfully dissent.   
 
 
 
                                                 
2 See Wis. Stat. §§ 51.10 (voluntary admission of adults), 
51.13 (admission of minors), 51.15 (emergency detention), and 
51.20 (involuntary commitment for treatment).  All references 
are to the 2003-04 Wisconsin Statutes. 
No.  2003AP3349.lbb 
 
1