Opinion ID: 1860956
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: issue #2: was the evidence sufficient to support the judgment of conviction?

Text: Two statutes (1975 Stats.) are involved in this case: 943.32. Robbery (1) Whoever, with intent to steal, takes property from the person or presence of the owner by either of the following means may be imprisoned not more than 10 years: (a) By using force against the person of the owner with intent thereby to overcome his physical resistance or physical power of resistance to the taking or carrying away of the property; or 939.05. Parties to crime. (1) Whoever is concerned in the commission of a crime is a principal and may be charged with and convicted of the commission of the crime although he did not directly commit it and although the person who directly committed it has not been convicted or has been convicted of some other degree of the crime or of some other crime based on the same act. (2) A person is concerned in the commission of the crime if he: (a) Directly commits the crime; or (b) Intentionally aids and abets the commission of it; or (c) Is a party to a conspiracy with another to commit it or advises, hires, counsels or otherwise procures another to commit it. Such a party is also concerned in the commission of any other crime which is committed in pursuance of the intended crime and which under the circumstances is a natural and probable consequence of the intended crime. This paragraph does not apply to a person who voluntarily changes his mind and no longer desires that the crime be committed and notifies the other parties concerned of his withdrawal within a reasonable time before the commission of the crime so as to allow the others also to withdraw. The trial court instructed the jury, consistent with Wisconsin Jury Instruction 1475 as follows: Before the defendants may be found guilty of robbery under Section 943.32 (1) (a), the district attorney must prove by evidence which satisfies you beyond a reasonable doubt that there were then and there the following three elements of this offense: First, that the defendant took property from the person or from the presence of one in the possession thereof. The value of the property is immaterial. Second, that the defendants or defendant at the time of the taking, had an intention to steal; that is, they had the intent to take and carry away the property of another without his consent knowing that it belonged to another and they had no right to take it and with the intent thereby to deprive the owner permanently of its possession. Third, that the defendant or defendants used force against the person in possession with intent thereby to overcome his physical resistance or physical power of resistance to the taking and carrying away of such property. The evidence in this case must support the conclusion that the defendant is either guilty of all these elements, or that he intentionally aided and abetted the commission of the crime, under sec. 939.05, Stats. [7, 8] When the defendant challenges the sufficiency of the evidence, the test is whether the evidence adduced, believed, and rationally considered by the jury was sufficient to prove the defendant's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. State v. Johnson, 11 Wis.2d 130, 135, 104 N.W.2d 379 (1960). Conversely stated, the test is whether, when considered most favorably to the state and the conviction, the evidence is so insufficient in probative value and force that it can be said as a matter of law that no trier of facts acting reasonably could be convinced to that degree of certitude which the law defines as beyond a reasonable doubt. Peters v. State, 70 Wis.2d 22, 33, 233 N.W.2d 420 (1975). Furthermore, it is not necessary that this court be convinced of the defendant's guilt but only that the court is satisfied the jury acting reasonably could be so convinced. State v. Shaw, 58 Wis.2d 25, 29, 205 N.W.2d 132 (1973). Taylor v. State, 74 Wis.2d 255, 265, 246 N.W.2d 516 (1976). A conviction may be based in whole or in part upon circumstantial evidence. Bautista v. State, 53 Wis.2d 218, 223, 191 N.W.2d 725 (1971). The test for circumstantial evidence is whether it is strong enough to exclude every reasonable hypothesis of innocence. Taylor v. State, supra, 74 Wis.2d at 265. Since no witness testified to seeing Nauertz's wallet being taken from him either by Koller or Frankovis, the conviction is based in part on circumstantial evidence. Mr. Nauertz had the wallet with him when he entered the tavern. He had it in his right back pocket, attached to a chain which was clipped to his belt. He next saw it when the police returned it to him at the Police Administration Building. Since the evidence showed that he was set upon as soon as he entered the door of the tavern, he never got near the rear door. There is no reasonable possibility that Nauertz lost the wallet near the rear door. Officer Gross testified that a man who identified himself as Robert Koller threw the wallet to the ground as he left the bar by the rear exit. It is true that Officer Gross did not identify Koller in court, but instead identified his codefendant Frankovis. But the other officers who saw Gross enter the bar with a man in custody identified that man as Robert Koller. Moreover, Koller in his own testimony, said that he left the tavern through the real exit. Ms. Johnson testified that Frankovis was still on top of Nauertz in the front alcove shortly after the police entered the front door. Three witnesses testified that they saw Koller kicking NauertzMs. Johnson, Officer Baier, and Officer Simet. While Baier did not actually see Koller's foot make contact with Nauertz's body, Ms. Johnson and Simet did. It is true that her veracity was called into question in light of her admissions that she had given false testimony on previous occasions, but credibility is for the jury to determine. Turner v. State, 76 Wis.2d 1, 250 N.W.2d 706 (1977). The jury had a right to believe that she was telling the truth, particularly when her story corroborated that of the police officers. [9] The jury could find beyond a reasonable doubt that Koller participated in the attack on Nauertz. In Bautista v. State, supra , this court upheld the conviction of two defendants of robbery, party to a crime, where it was clear that neither defendant took the purse from the victim, but they both participated in a vicious attack upon him. Such an assault can be part of and an aggravation of the crime of robbery. A physical assault, such as described in the evidence herein, is not only a heinous crime itself but can be a part of a planned robbery in that it renders the victim either incapable or too fearful to resist. Bautista v. State, supra, 53 Wis.2d at 224. The evidence is more than sufficient to support the conviction.