Ineffective Assistance of Counsel – Court Error

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WI Court of Appeals – District II

Case Name: State of Wisconsin v. William J. Thurber

Case No.: 2015AP161-CR

Officials: Neubauer, C.J., Reilly, P.J., and Gundrum, J.

Focus: Ineffective Assistance of Counsel – Court Error

William J. Thurber was convicted after a jury trial of twelve counts of burglary, as a party to the crime, for his role in burglarizing twelve motor homes located at a storage facility. He appeals his judgment of conviction, arguing the trial court erred when it made a midtrial ruling precluding him from calling a witness to the stand due to his failure to list the witness prior to trial. Thurber also challenges the court’s denial of his postconviction motion seeking a new trial, asserting his trial counsel provided him ineffective assistance by failing to list the witness prior to trial; call a certain additional witness to the stand; obtain and use a surveillance video, map and photographs at trial; and “consult more” with Thurber prior to trial. We conclude the court1 did not err in its midtrial ruling or its determination that Thurber’s trial counsel was not ineffective. We affirm.

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Attorney Derek A. Hawkins is the managing partner at Hawkins Law Offices LLC, where he heads up the firm’s startup law practice. He specializes in business formation, corporate governance, intellectual property protection, private equity and venture capital funding and mergers & acquisitions. Check out the website at www.hawkins-lawoffices.com or contact them at 262-737-8825.