Case Title: Hjalmer Heikkinen v. United Services Automobile Assn.

Citation: 2007 WI 124

Docket Number: 2005AP001638

State: wisconsin

Court: Wisconsin Supreme Court

Date: 2007-10-12T00:00:00Z

Document:
2007 WI 124 
 
SUPREME COURT OF WISCONSIN 
 
 
 
 
 
CASE NO.: 
2005AP1638 
COMPLETE TITLE: 
 
 
Hjalmer C. Heikkinen, Kim Heikkinen, Special  
Administrator of the Estate of Amelia Heikkinen, 
State of Wisconsin Department of Health and 
Family Services and Tommy G. Thompson Secretary, 
Department of Health and Human Services, 
          Plaintiffs-Respondents, 
     v. 
United Services Automobile Association and 
Margaret E. Morse, 
          Defendants-Third-Party  
          Plaintiffs-Respondents, 
     v. 
The Catholic Mutual Relief Society of America 
and Archdiocese of Milwaukee, 
          Defendants-Third-Party  
          Defendants-Appellants-Petitioners. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
REVIEW OF A DECISION OF THE COURT OF APPEALS 
2006 WI App 207 
Reported at:  296 Wis. 2d 438, 724 N.W.2d 243 
(Ct. App. 2006-Published) 
 
 
OPINION FILED: 
October 12, 2007   
SUBMITTED ON BRIEFS: 
        
ORAL ARGUMENT: 
September 12, 2007   
 
 
SOURCE OF APPEAL: 
 
 
COURT: 
Circuit   
 
COUNTY: 
Milwaukee   
 
JUDGE: 
Michael Guolee   
 
 
 
JUSTICES: 
 
 
CONCURRED: 
        
 
DISSENTED: 
        
 
NOT PARTICIPATING: CROOKS, J., did not participate.   
 
 
 
ATTORNEYS: 
 
For 
the 
defendants-third-party 
defendants-appellants-
petitioners there were briefs by Frank L. Steeves, O. Thomas 
Armstrong, Jr. and von Briesen & Roper, S.C., Milwaukee, and 
oral argument by O. Thomas Armstrong, Jr. 
 
For the defendants-third-party plaintiffs-respondents there 
was a brief filed by Terry E. Johnson, Frederick J. Smith, 
 
 
2 
Michael D. Crooks, and Peterson, Johnson & Murray, S.C., 
Milwaukee, and oral argument by Terry E. Johnson. 
 
For the plaintiffs-respondents there was a brief filed by 
Don C. Prachthauser, Kevin J. Kukor, and Murphy & Prachthauser, 
Milwaukee, and oral argument by Don C. Prachthauser. 
 
An amicus brief was filed by Michael B. Apfeld, Milwaukee, 
on behalf of the Defense Research Institute. 
 
An amicus brief was filed by William C. Gleisner, III and 
the Law Offices of Wm. Gleisner, Milwaukee, and Lynn R. 
Laufenberg and Laufenberg & Hoefle, S.C., Milwaukee, on behalf 
of the Wisconsin Academy of Trial Lawyers. 
 
 
2007 WI 124
NOTICE 
This opinion is subject to further 
editing and modification.  The final 
version will appear in the bound 
volume of the official reports.   
No.  2005AP1638  
(L.C. No. 
2003CV1267) 
STATE OF WISCONSIN  
 
 
   : 
IN SUPREME COURT 
 
 
Hjalmer C. Heikkinen, Kim Heikkinen, Special 
Administrator of the Estate of Amelia 
Heikkinen, State of Wisconsin Department of 
Health and Family Services, and Tommy G. 
Thompson, Secretary, Department of Health and 
Human Services, 
 
          Plaintiffs-Respondents, 
 
     v. 
 
United Services Automobile Association and 
Margaret E. Morse, 
 
          Defendants-Third-Party Plaintiffs- 
          Respondents, 
 
     v. 
 
The Catholic Mutual Relief Society of America 
and Archdiocese of Milwaukee, 
 
          Defendants-Third-Party Defendants- 
          Appellants-Petitioners. 
 
FILED 
 
OCT 12, 2007 
 
David R. Schanker 
Clerk of Supreme Court 
 
 
 
 
 
REVIEW of a decision of the Court of Appeals.  Affirmed.   
 
¶1 
PER CURIAM.    The court is equally divided on the 
question of whether the published decision of the court of 
No. 
2005AP1638   
 
2 
 
appeals, Heikkinen v. United Services Automobile Association, 
2006 WI App 207, 296 Wis. 2d 438, 724 N.W.2d 243, should be 
affirmed or reversed.  CHIEF JUSTICE SHIRLEY S. ABRAHAMSON, 
JUSTICE ANN WALSH BRADLEY, and JUSTICE LOUIS B. BUTLER, JR., 
would affirm; JUSTICE DAVID T. PROSSER, JUSTICE PATIENCE DRAKE 
ROGGENSACK, and JUSTICE ANNETTE KINGSLAND ZIEGLER would reverse.  
JUSTICE N. PATRICK CROOKS did not participate. 
¶2 
Accordingly, the decision of the court of appeals is 
affirmed. 
 
 
No. 
2005AP1638   
 
 
 
1