Opinion ID: 1816335
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Was it error to permit the state to introduce defendant's trousers into evidence

Text: At the trial the trousers, which were removed from the defendant at the time of arrest, were introduced into evidence. Testimony showed that the trousers gave evidence of seminal stains. The public defender contends that the seizure was without warrant and not incident to the defendant's arrest for rape, but was rather for an arrest on a parole violation. He therefore concludes that the search was illegal, inasmuch as a search for mere  evidence must be for evidence related to the crime for which the arrest is made and not evidence of some other crime for which no probable cause for arrest exists at the time. The controlling fact, however, is that the defendant did not object to the introduction of the trousers into evidence. In Bradley v. State (1967), 36 Wis. 2d 345, 359, 153 N. W. 2d 38, 155 N. W. 2d 564, we pointed out that even a constitutional right will be deemed waived unless timely raised in the trial court. The public defender recognizes this but argues that this court also concluded in Bradley, at pages 359, 359a, that it may ... decide a constitutional question not raised below if it appears in the interests of justice to do so and where there are no factual issues that need resolution. This is undoubtedly correct. We see, however, no persuasive argument why the interests of justice warrant consideration of the issue. As the state points out, there was testimony that the assailant was wearing dark trousers, and it appears that the trousers in question were not dark. Moreover, the coat did not have a half-belt in the back, as the victim initially testified. It appears reasonable to conclude that, for purposes of strategy, the trial counsel desired these items of clothing to be brought before the jury in an attempt to point out the inconsistency of some of the identification testimony. By the failure to object at trial, the defendant has waived his right to suppress the evidence revealed by the trousers.