Opinion ID: 1991916
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Prosecutor's Charging Discretion.

Text: [7] Next, we consider the question of whether the prosecutor may reallege in the information the same crime charged in the complaint, where the court commissioner has found no probable cause existed, but concluded that probable cause was established that the defendant had committed another felony. [7] Resolution of this question requires us to interpret the relationship between Wis. Stat. §§ 970.03(7) and 971.01(1). Statutory interpretation presents a question of law which this court decides de novo without deference to the decisions of the lower courts. Rolo v. Goers, 174 Wis. 2d 709, 715, 497 N.W.2d 724 (1993). The cardinal rule in all statutory interpretation, as this court has often said, is to discern the intent of the legislature. Id. (citing Scott v. First State Ins. Co., 155 Wis. 2d 608, 612, 456 N.W.2d 152 (1990)). The present case involves a bind over on probable cause to believe that Akins committed a felony followed by the filing of an information which contains a count which is different from the felony for which he was bound over. The count in the information is the same count set forth in the criminal complaint which the court commissioner determined lacked probable cause at the preliminary examination. In Wittke v. State ex rel. Smith, 80 Wis. 2d 332, 259 N.W.2d 515 (1977), this court interpreted the language of Wis. Stat. § 970.03(7), and concluded that the preliminary hearing judge may bind a defendant over for trial on probable cause to believe he committed a felony even if that felony is not the same felony as charged in the criminal complaint. Id. at 351-52. The count alleged in the criminal complaint was dismissed when the State had failed to demonstrate probable cause for the commission of a felony. Id. at 337. Subsequently, the defendant was ordered to be discharged, and the State attempted to reissue a second complaint alleging the same count, without producing any new evidence. Id. Recognizing the public interest in the finality of judicial decisions, this court held that where the existence of probable cause had been fully litigated, the State may only bring a second complaint charging the same offense after dismissal if it has or discovers additional evidence. Id. at 342; see also Wis. Stat. § 970.04. We concluded our analysis by examining the historically broad charging discretion of the district attorney, stating: Once it has been determined that there is probable cause to believe a felony has been committed by the defendant and he is bound over for trial, the prosecutor is not bound, in preparing an information, to the charges advanced at the preliminary examination. Rather the prosecutor may charge in the information any crime not wholly unrelated to the transactions and facts adduced at the preliminary examination. Bailey v. State, 65 Wis. 2d 331, 222 N.W.2d 871 (1974). The purpose of the preliminary examination has been satisfied once a finding of probable cause has been made, and the prosecutor may allege additional related charges in the information. Bailey v. State, supra, 341. Wittke, 80 Wis. 2d at 352. Shortly thereafter, this court, in Hooper, addressed the procedure following a bind over on probable cause to believe the defendant had committed a felony in accord with Wis. Stat. § 971.01(1), which provides as follows: The district attorney shall examine all facts and circumstances connected with any preliminary examination touching the commission of any crime if the defendant has been bound over for trial and, subject to s. 970.03(10), shall file an information according to the evidence on such examination subscribing his or her name thereto. We interpreted § 971.01(1) as providing district attorneys, in the exercise of their quasi-judicial prosecutorial discretion, the responsibility of formulating a specific charge within the confines of and not wholly unrelated to the transaction or facts considered or testified to at the preliminary examination. Hooper, 101 Wis. 2d at 536. In holding that the count in the information at issue was sufficiently based upon the evidence adduced at the preliminary hearing, this court reiterated the analysis for determining whether the prosecutor has properly exercised his broad charging discretion: Thus, we hold that in ascertaining whether the prosecutor abused his discretion, this court must look to the record of the preliminary examination to determine if the charge recited in the information was within the confines of and not wholly unrelated to the facts and circumstances testified to at that hearing. If the evidence adduced at the preliminary hearing supports the district attorney's charging decision, then it follows that the charges recited in the information are within the confines of and not wholly unrelated to the testimony elicited at that examination. In applying this standard, however, we remain cognizant of the fact that a preliminary hearing is not a full evidentiary trial and that the purpose of a preliminary examination is only to determine whether further criminal proceedings are justified. Taylor v. State, 55 Wis. 2d 168, 172-73, 197 N.W.2d 805 (1972). Hooper, 101 Wis. 2d at 539. [8] [8] Faced with a single count criminal complaint in the present case, the court commissioner found probable cause to believe Akins had committed a felony, thereby binding the defendant over for trial. However, he then went on to state that he felt there was no probable cause to support the count charged in the complaint, armed burglary. In doing so, we find that the commissioner exceeded his limited authority at the preliminary hearing. The commissioner's role at the preliminary examination, according to Wis. Stat. § 970.03(1) was simply to determine whether probable cause existed to believe a felony had been committed by the defendant. [9] Upon a finding of the required probable cause, the commissioner's inquiry should have ended. See Wis. Stat. § 970.03(7). Any further discussion regarding whether the State had established probable cause as to the precise felony charged in the single count complaint was inappropriate and unnecessary. [10] A holding to the contrary, allowing the commissioner to also make a no probable cause determination after establishing probable cause to believe a felony was committed in a single count complaint, would unnecessarily restrict the quasi-judicial charging discretion of the district attorney, inconsistent with precedent of this court. [11] The underlying purpose of the preliminary examination has historically been to determine whether the defendant should be subjected to criminal prosecution and further deprived of his liberty. See State v. Dunn, 121 Wis. 2d 389, 394-95, 359 N.W.2d 151 (1984); Thies v. State, 178 Wis. 98, 103, 189 N.W. 539 (1922). In the present case, the evidence adduced at the preliminary examination clearly supported the determination that probable cause existed to believe that Akins had committed a felony, theft of a firearm. Requiring a bind over under these facts sufficiently satisfied the purpose of the preliminary examination, namely, that there existed a substantial basis for bringing the prosecution. See Dunn, 121 Wis. 2d at 398. [9] In accordance with longstanding precedent of this court, the prosecutor's charging discretion is not inhibited by the court commissioner's commentary regarding a lack of probable cause as to the original count in the criminal complaint, armed burglary. The prosecutor was able to include any count in the information as long as it was transactionally related to the count on which Akins was bound over. A review of the record indicates that the basis for the armed burglary count arose from a common nucleus of facts which were transactionally related, and wholly within the confines of the testimony and circumstances presented at the hearing. The prosecutor's exercise of discretion in charging armed burglary in the information was completely consistent with Wis. Stat. § 971.01(1), and we therefore conclude that the circuit court's order denying the motion to dismiss was appropriate under the law of this state. By the Court. The decision of the circuit court is affirmed. WILLIAM A. BABLITCH, J. ( concurring ). For the reasons stated in the concurrence to State v. John T. Williams 198 Wis. 2d 516, 544 N.W.2d 406 (1996), I concur.