State of Wisconsin, Plaintiff-Respondent v. Karin S. Poellinger, Defendant-Appellant-Petitioner

Summary

The Wisconsin Supreme Court affirmed the court of appeals and upheld Karin Poellinger's conviction for possessing cocaine residue, holding that the standard for reviewing the sufficiency of evidence is the same whether the proof is direct or circumstantial. It clarified that the rule requiring exclusion of every reasonable hypothesis of innocence governs the trier of fact at trial rather than appellate review, and it disapproved prior decisions that had applied that rule on appeal. Applying the deferential reasonable-doubt standard, the court concluded the jury could reasonably infer from the defendant's admission and ordinary life experience that she knew the vial in her purse contained cocaine residue.