Court Opinion

ID: 9670851
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 03:27:15.908375+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:16:06.866322
License: Public Domain

SHIRLEY S. ABRAHAMSON, J.
(dissenting). The petition for review set forth the following issue for review: Did the court of appeals fail to apply the correct standard of review to this jury verdict? The respondents agreed this was the issue but argued it was not worthy of this court's review. At least three justices concluded that the petition for review should be granted, and it was. Section 809.62(1), Stats. 1991-92, indicates criteria that will be considered in ruling on a petition for a review, but they "neither control. . . nor measure ... the court's discretion."
In accordance with the rules of appellate practice and our internal operating procedures, the parties filed briefs in this court, the case was submitted to the court, and the court deliberated on the case. The litigants and the court have expended time, effort and money on the *536assumption that the case would be heard and decided on the merits. The court should not at this late stage of the appellate proceeding dismiss the petition for review as having been improvidently granted without setting forth the reason for dismissal.*
The issue clearly presented in the petition for review is just as clearly presented in the briefs filed by the parties. No surprises have arisen in this case. While some justices may now have second thoughts about deciding the issue presented for review, second thoughts do not, in my opinion, justify dismissing the review as improvidently granted without an intervening change of circumstances.
For the reasons set forth, I dissent from the dismissal and would decide the case.

 The court has not been consistent about giving an explanation for dismissing a petition for review as improvidently granted. For dismissals where an explanation was given, see, e.g., Arbitron Co. Div. of Control Data Corp. v. Fall Broadcasting Corp., 108 Wis. 2d 745, 324 N.W.2d 431 (1982); Furuseth v. Lowe, 101 Wis. 2d 565, 304 N.W.2d 766 (1981). For dismissals where no explanation was given, see, e.g., Szwalkiewicz v. Gorski Tool & Mfr. Corp., 104 Wis. 2d 755, 318 N.W.2d 404 (1981) (Abrahamson, J. dissenting); State v. Frankforter, 101 Wis. 2d 740, 309 N.W.2d 845 (1981) (Abrahamson, J. dissenting); City of Racine v. Schwartz, 95 Wis. 2d 745, 293 N.W.2d 925 (1980) (Abrahamson, J. dissenting).