State of Wisconsin, Plaintiff-Respondent v. Christian R. Bangert, Defendant-Appellant

Summary

The court affirmed denial of Bangert's motion to withdraw his no-contest plea. It held that the plea colloquy failed to comply with statutory and supervisory requirements, but the totality of the record established that Bangert understood the charge and the constitutional rights he waived; it also held that any plea-agreement breaches were immaterial and that Bangert waived his venue objections by pleading no contest. Chief Justice Heffernan, joined by Justices Abrahamson and Bablitch, concurred in the result but criticized allowing postconviction evidence to cure an incomplete plea colloquy and objected to the burdens imposed by the new procedure.