Wisconsin Court of Appeals Affirms 2005 Milwaukee

"My thoughts are with Jay's family," says Van Hollen.  "I am mindful of the dangerous duty we ask our law enforcement professionals to undertake.  Jay gave his life protecting all of us from harm.  I am gratified that the Wisconsin Court of Appeals affirmed Dionny Reynolds's criminal convictions."

MADISON - On December 13, 2005, a Milwaukee County jury convicted Dionny L. Reynolds of first-degree reckless homicide and two other felonies in connection with the murder of Special Agent John ("Jay") Balchunas of the Wisconsin Department of Justice's Division of Criminal Investigation.

This morning, the Wisconsin Court of Appeals (District I, sitting in Milwaukee) affirmed all three convictions, concluding in pertinent part that Reynolds's post-arrest statements to police were voluntarily made.  The court rejected Reynolds's claim that Milwaukee Police Department detectives used coercive interview techniques to obtain Reynolds's admissions.

Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen released the following statement:

            "Today my thoughts are with Jay's family.  I am mindful of the dangerous duty we ask our law enforcement professionals to undertake every day.  Jay gave his life protecting all of us from harm. I am gratified that the Wisconsin Court of Appeals affirmed Dionny Reynolds's criminal convictions."

The Wisconsin Court of Appeals' decision in State of Wisconsin v. Dionny L. Reynolds, No. 2009AP786-CR, appears on the court's website: http://www.wicourts.gov/ca/opinion/DisplayDocument.pdf?content=pdf&seqNo=48057  

The Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office prosecuted Reynolds in Milwaukee County Circuit Court.  Assistant Attorney General James Freimuth represented the State in the Wisconsin Court of Appeals.