State v. Mewes

The State charged Monica Mewes with second degree kidnapping. A court commissioner found her guilty as charged following a bench trial. The court then entered findings of fact on a preprinted form which read:

The court, based upon the Information, testimony heard and the case record to date, finds that the defendant has been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of the following offense(s): Kidnaping [sic] 2°

The report of proceedings filed on appeal is replete with "inaudible” victim responses. The State concedes that the record cannot be supplemented because the tape is no longer available.…