Court Opinion

ID: 9738193
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 19:44:46.391635+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:24:04.313152
License: Public Domain

MICHAEL J. GABLEMAN, J.
¶ 84. (concurring). I join the majority opinion. I write separately to emphasize the narrow and limited extent of our review in this case. Under Wis. Stat. § 805.17(2), "[findings of fact shall not be set aside unless clearly erroneous." In this case, the circuit court has made specific findings of fact, and therefore it is our duty to defer to those findings "unless they are unsupported by the record." Schreiber v. Physicians Ins. Co., 223 Wis. 2d 417, 426, 588 N.W.2d 26 (1999). Even if the evidence permits a different finding, an appellate court is to affirm the circuit court's findings of fact "as long as the evidence would permit a reasonable person to make the finding." Sellers v. Sellers, 201 Wis. 2d 578, 586, 549 N.W.2d 481 (Ct. App. 1996).
¶ 85. The circuit court found (and the parties agree) that Carter's arrest and confinement in Illinois were based in part on the outstanding Wisconsin felony warrant for first degree recklessly endangering safety. Specifically, the circuit court found that Carter "was arrested in Chicago, Illinois, on a probation violation warrant from Illinois and on the Wisconsin warrant" and that he "was held in custody resulting in part from the Wisconsin warrant issued in this case" from "December 13, 2003, until October 19, 2004," excepting a six-day period while he "was serving his sentence" for the Illinois probation charge.1
¶ 86. The circuit court conducted a thorough and diligent review of the evidence and reached a reason*41able conclusion for which support exists within the record. It reached its conclusions in part based on inferences, as is proper and as was necessary under the circumstances. Reasonable minds may differ as to the appropriate conclusions to be drawn from such inferences; however, the existence of other reasonable interpretations does not make the findings of the circuit court clearly erroneous.
¶ 87. Because of our obligation to defer to the circuit court's findings of fact, I agree with the majority and the parties that Carter is entitled to 305 days of sentencing credit.2 See majority op., ¶¶ 76-82.

 Findings of Fact 2, 14.

 I agree, however, with Justice Ziegler that the decision in this case addresses a very narrow set of facts and should not be seen as disturbing or modifying the principles established in our prior cases. Justice Ziegler's dissent, ¶ 239.