Court Opinion

ID: 9671075
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 03:30:42.925979+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:16:08.082728
License: Public Domain

ANN WALSH BRADLEY
¶ 50. {concurring). While I agree with the mandate of the court, I write separately because I do not believe that the court should reach the constitutional question presented by State v. Pulizzano, 155 Wis. 2d 633, 456 N.W.2d 325 (1990). As indicated by the majority opinion, the circuit court erroneously exercised its discretion in presenting the modified form of the Wis JI — Criminal 255 instruction to the jury. On that basis alone the defendant's convictions must be reversed and remanded for new trial.
¶ 51. The court of appeals reversed the defendant's conviction for sexual intercourse with a minor and allowed the defendant to offer evidence of the victim's prior sexual assault and resulting alternate source of sexual knowledge. It took this action to ensure the defendant a fair trial. This court affirms that portion of the court of appeals decision. Pursuant to the court of appeals determination, upon remand the *91defendant will be allowed to offer evidence that Bobby M. previously sexually assaulted B.W.S.
¶ 52. However, the majority also reverses the defendant's convictions for sexual contact with a minor. The court takes this action on two grounds: (1) violation of the defendant's constitutional right to present the evidence of the victim's prior sexual assault for purposes of the sexual contact charges, and (2) the circuit court's erroneous offer of a modified jury instruction which "so misled and confused the jury as to taint its verdict." Majority op. at 88. Absent more, either error would require reversal of the defendant's convictions and remand for a new trial. The defendant seeks reversal of his remaining two convictions on either or both of these grounds.
¶ 53. This court has repeatedly recognized that it will not decide constitutional questions if a case can be resolved on other grounds. See State v. Castillo, 213 Wis. 2d 488, 492, 570 N.W.2d 44 (1997); Ziegler Co., Inc. v. Rexnord, Inc., 139 Wis. 2d 593, 612, 407 N.W.2d 873 (1987); Bachowski v. Salamone, 139 Wis. 2d 397, 415, 407 N.W.2d 533 (1987) (Abrahamson, J., concurring); Labor and Farm Party v. Elections Board, 117 Wis. 2d 351, 354, 344 N.W.2d 177 (1984); Kollasch v. Adamany, 104 Wis. 2d 552, 561, 313 N.W.2d 47 (1981); see also Smith v. Journal Co., 271 Wis. 384, 390, 73 N.W.2d 429 (1955). Because the majority's resolution of the jury instruction issue requires reversal of the defendant's convictions for sexual contact with a minor, it should not reach the constitutional issue.
¶ 54. Additionally, the majority's reach to address the constitutional issue is unnecessary because the evidence deemed admissible as a result of its constitutional analysis has already been held admissible by the court of appeals decision. In revers*92ing the sexual intercourse count, the court of appeals determined, pursuant to Pulizzano, that evidence of B.W.S.'s prior sexual assault by Bobby M. should be admitted upon retrial. The majority's conclusion merely duplicates upon retrial the admission of that same evidence — that B.W.S. was previously sexually assaulted by Bobby M. Thus, the majority need not and should not reach the constitutional Pulizzano issue presented by the sexual contact charges. Accordingly, while I concur in the mandate, I join only in the majority's jury instruction discussion.