In re K.O.

2023 IL App (1st) 221584-U
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedJune 22, 2023
Docket1-22-1584
StatusUnpublished

This text of 2023 IL App (1st) 221584-U (In re K.O.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Court of Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In re K.O., 2023 IL App (1st) 221584-U (Ill. Ct. App. 2023).

Opinion

2023 IL App (1st) 221584-U FOURTH DIVISION Order filed June 22, 2023

No. 1-22-1584 NOTICE: This order was filed under Supreme Court Rule 23 and is not precedent except in the limited circumstances allowed under Rule 23(e)(1). ______________________________________________________________________________ IN THE APPELLATE COURT OF ILLINOIS FIRST DISTRICT ______________________________________________________________________________

IN RE K.O., a minor ) Appeal from the ) Circuit Court of Cook (The People of the State of Illinois, ) County. ) Petitioner-Appellee, ) ) v. ) No. 19 JD 1630 ) K.O., ) Honorable ) Cynthia Ramirez, Respondent-Appellant.) ) Judge, presiding.

JUSTICE HOFFMAN delivered the judgment of the court. Justices Rochford and Martin concurred in the judgment.

ORDER

¶ 1 Held: We affirmed the circuit court’s finding of delinquency holding that: (1) the circuit court’s error in questioning prospective jurors regarding the Supreme Court Rule 431(b) factors did not rise to the level of plain error; (2) the circuit court did not err in admitting a statement made by the victim to a paramedic: (3) the State did not fail to prove the respondent guilty beyond a reasonable doubt; and (4) the circuit court did not consider an improper sentencing factor. No. 1-22-1584

¶2 The respondent, K.O., appeals from the judgment of the circuit court finding him delinquent

based on a jury finding of guilty of first degree murder and committing him to the Department of

Juvenile Justice until the age of 21 and imposing and staying an adult sentence of 30 years. On

appeal, the respondent contends the circuit court committed plain error when it failed to ask the

jurors whether they “understood and accepted” the principles identified in Supreme Court Rule

431(b) (eff July 1, 2012); the circuit court erred when it permitted the State to question a paramedic

regarding a statement made by the victim; the State failed to prove him delinquent beyond a

reasonable doubt; and the circuit court erred when it used his silence as evidence that he lacked

remorse during sentencing. For the reasons that follow, we affirm.

¶3 The State filed a petition for adjudication of wardship, which alleged the respondent was

delinquent for, inter alia¸ shooting and killing Jordan Webb. Prior to trial, the State moved to admit

evidence of statements made by Webb shortly after he was shot. The State alleged that Webb was

shot on October 9, 2019, while on the first floor of a house in Altgeld Gardens and, after he was

shot, went upstairs and stated to Shatanya Bates that he had been shot. When Bates asked “who?”

he replied “Kodak,” using a nickname for the respondent. The State further alleged that while en

route to a hospital in the back of an ambulance, Webb asked, “Am I going to die?” He went into

cardiac arrest in the ambulance and died shortly thereafter at a hospital despite the efforts of

emergency medical technicians and hospital staff. The State argued that the statement “Kodak”

should be admitted as an excited utterance or dying declaration. Following a hearing the circuit court

held that the statement was admissible as an excited utterance “and or” a dying declaration.

¶4 Later the respondent moved, in limine, to exclude evidence of the statement made by Webb

in the ambulance arguing that its probative value was substantially outweighed by the danger of

-2- No. 1-22-1584

unfair prejudice. The State responded, arguing that the statement was part of the proper foundation

for the admission of Webb’s statement as a dying declaration. The circuit court overruled the

objection.

¶5 The circuit court began jury selection on June 21, 2022. The circuit court questioned the

prospective jurors about the four factors listed in Rule 431(b). However, rather than asking whether

the jurors accepted and understood the principles, it variously asked whether they were “capable of

complying with this rule?”; “disagreed with this rule?” or “agreed with this rule?” The respondent

did not object to the questioning.

¶6 Following jury selection and opening statements, the circuit court received evidence.

Kimberley Jackson, Webb’s mother, testified that her son was alive on October 9, 2019, and

identified a photograph of him after he died.

¶7 Shawn Miller, Jr. testified that he was born in January 2003. Miller admitted that in 2020, he

was arrested and charged with possession of a firearm. He pled guilty and received one year of court

supervision, which was terminated satisfactorily. He also admitted that he was arrested twice for

“drugs” in 2020 and 2021. Those cases were dismissed, and no promises were made by the State in

regard to those cases for his testimony in this case. Miller admitted that he was appearing pursuant

to a subpoena and that he was currently facing a contempt of court charge for failing to appear to

testify at an earlier court date. He testified that no promises were made by the State regarding the

contempt of court charge.

¶8 On October 9, 2019, Miller was living in Altgeld Gardens in a two-story house. The lower

floor consisted of a front room and a kitchen, and there were bedrooms upstairs. He shared the house

with his mother and siblings. When he woke up that day, his sister Shatanya and brother C.J. were

-3- No. 1-22-1584

in the house. His friend Devon was also in the house. Webb and Kodak came over. The respondent

was identified in open court as Kodak. Some additional friends, whose names Miller could not

remember, joined them for a total of seven individuals in the living room. His sister and brother

remained upstairs.

¶9 Miller further testified that the respondent was armed with a small revolver. He showed the

revolver to everyone and then placed it in his waistband. The respondent asked Webb if he could

use his telephone. Webb said “No” and they began to “tussle.” Webb and the respondent were

grabbing each other by the shirt, and Webb “swung” the respondent onto the couch. No one threw a

punch or kick and neither party appeared hurt. The respondent got off the couch and went into the

kitchen. Webb remained in the front room sitting on the couch. Two people left, but the respondent,

Devon, and Webb remained. The respondent came out of the kitchen and told Webb he was “going

to pop him.” He then shot Webb in the chest and ran out of the house.

¶ 10 Miller and Webb went up the stairs and used Miller’s sister’s phone to call the police. They

went back downstairs and waited for the police to arrive. Webb was sitting on the couch when the

police and fire department arrived. Miller saw him loaded into an ambulance. Miller spoke to the

police but did not tell them what happened. Miller’s father came home and went with him to the

police station. Miller picked the respondent out of a photo array as the individual who shot Webb.

¶ 11 Miller further testified that he did not tell the police what happened when they first arrived,

because he didn’t want anyone to get in trouble. He changed his mind because his father told him to

tell the truth.

¶ 12 On cross-examination. Miller admitted that he initially told police that he was playing video

games in his bedroom with headphones on and did not hear the shooting.

-4- No. 1-22-1584

¶ 13 Shatanya Bates testified that she lived in Altgeld Gardens on October 9, 2019. Shatanya

admitted that she was testifying pursuant to a subpoena and had a pending contempt proceeding as

a result of not appearing earlier.

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Bluebook (online)
2023 IL App (1st) 221584-U, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-ko-illappct-2023.