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Legal Opinion

State Ex Rel. Unnamed v. Connors

Wisconsin Supreme Court

Decided March 6, 1987No. 86-0290-WPublishedCited by 27 opinions

1Opinion of the Court

HEFFERNAN, CHIEF JUSTICE.

This opinion considers whether sec. 968.02(3), Stats.,1 which authorizes a circuit judge, upon a finding of probable cause, to permit the filing of a criminal complaint if the district attorney refuses or is unavailable to issue a complaint, is unconstitutional because it allows an encroachment by the judiciary upon the executive branch’s power to decide whether criminal charges should be filed.

We conclude that the statute is unconstitutional beyond a reasonable doubt.2 It violates the separation-*121of-powers principle of the Wisconsin Constitution that prohibits a…

2Cases cited32 opinions

  1. Berger v. United StatesSupreme Court of the United States · 1935
  2. United States v. NixonSupreme Court of the United States · 1974
  3. Yick Wo v. HopkinsSupreme Court of the United States · 1886
  4. United States v. CoxCourt of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit · 1965
  5. State Ex Rel. Strykowski v. WilkieWisconsin Supreme Court · 1978

27 more not listed; retrieve them via the Exa API.

3Cited by27 opinions

  1. State Ex Rel. Kalal v. Circuit Court for Dane CountyWisconsin Supreme Court · 2004
  2. Panzer v. DoyleWisconsin Supreme Court · 2004
  3. State Ex Rel. Smith v. City of Oak CreekWisconsin Supreme Court · 1987
  4. State v. UnnamedWisconsin Supreme Court · 1989
  5. State Ex Rel. Richards v. FoustWisconsin Supreme Court · 1991

22 more not listed; retrieve them via the Exa API.

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