By: WISCONSIN LAW JOURNAL STAFF//January 22, 2015//
Wisconsin Court of Appeals
Criminal
Criminal Procedure – ineffective assistance
APPEAL from an order of the circuit court for Sauk County: JAMES EVENSON, Judge. Affirmed.
William Berlin appeals an order denying Berlin’s postconviction motion for relief under Wis. Stat. § 974.06 (2011-12).[1] Berlin contends that he was denied the effective assistance of counsel at trial when his counsel: failed to object to, and introduced, inadmissible evidence; inadequately prepared for trial; inadequately cross-examined State witnesses; failed to conduct an adequate investigation; and failed to present a reasonable theory of defense. For the reasons set forth below, we reject each of these contentions. Because we reject each of Berlin’s claims of ineffective assistance of counsel, we also reject Berlin’s claim that the cumulative effect of those errors should undermine our confidence in the outcome of the trial. We affirm.
DISTRICT IV; Sauk County; JAMES EVENSON, Blanchard, P.J., Sherman, Kloppenburg, JJ.
2013AP002817 State v. William E. Berlin