Marquez v. People

576 N.E.2d 522, 216 Ill. App. 3d 1033, 159 Ill. Dec. 853, 1991 Ill. App. LEXIS 1292
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedJuly 26, 1991
DocketNo. 3—91—0464
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 576 N.E.2d 522 (Marquez v. People) 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
Marquez v. People, 576 N.E.2d 522, 216 Ill. App. 3d 1033, 159 Ill. Dec. 853, 1991 Ill. App. LEXIS 1292 (Ill. Ct. App. 1991).

Opinions

JUSTICE HAASE

delivered the opinion of the court:

A grand jury in Will County, Illinois, subpoenaed the petitioners, Tony Marquez and John Romo. The subpoenas required both to appear in an in-person lineup, submit fingerprints, palm prints, a blood standard, and head and pubic hair samples to the grand jury. No charges have been filed against either man. The petitioners filed, motions to quash the subpoenas. Following a hearing before the circuit court of Will County, the court quashed the subpoenas requiring the petitioners to submit blood standards, pubic hair pullings, and head hair pullings. The court ruled these items were the subject of fourth amendment protection and, absent a showing of probable cause, beyond the scope of the grand jury’s subpoena power. The court upheld the subpoenas with regard to fingerprints, palm prints, in-person lineup, head hair clipping and combing, and pubic hair clipping and combing. The court ruled these items are not the subject of fourth amendment protections in that they are items routinely exposed to public view. The petitioners appeal the court’s ruling. We affirm in part and reverse in part.

First, the petitioners argue that there is no showing that the subpoenas were issued at the direction of the grand jury. We dispose of this argument summarily. The petitioners assert they “believe” the subpoenas “may” have been issued at the direction of the State’s Attorney and not by action of the grand jury. The burden of showing irregularity in grand jury proceedings rests upon the defendant and may not be based upon speculation. (People v. Haag (1979), 80 Ill. App. 3d 135, 399 N.E.2d 284.) Absent proof of irregularity, which is not demonstrated by this record, we decline to presume error in the issuance of the subpoenas.

The remainder of the petitioners’ claims warrant careful consideration.

First, the petitioners contend the subpoenas are not authorized by applicable Illinois law. They argue (1) the Illinois Constitution provides that the legislature may limit the powers of the grand jury; (2) the legislature has limited the subpoena powers of the grand jury to oral testimony, documents, and transcripts; (3) hair, blood and the other evidence sought fall into none of the aforementioned categories; and (4) therefore, the subpoenas issued by the Will County grand jury exceed their lawful authority and should be quashed. Secondly, petitioners claim a fourth amendment protection from divulging these items absent a showing of probable cause. Third, the petitioners assert the subpoenas violate their constitutional right to privacy under the Illinois State Constitution.

In order to fully understand the issues presented, a review of the powers of the grand jury is required.

The fifth amendment to the United States Constitution guarantees that no civilian be brought to trial by the United States for an infamous crime “unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury.” (U.S. Const., amend. V.) This guarantee evolved from the English common law tradition of placing a body of citizens between the prosecutor and the accused. (Wood v. Georgia (1962), 370 U.S. 375, 392, 8 L. Ed. 2d 564, 581, 82 S. Ct. 1364, 1374.) The grand jury serves the dual function of protecting citizens from the overzealous prosecutor and providing an investigative body to root out law breakers. The right to a grand jury indictment, however, does not extend to defendants accused of State crimes. Hurtado v. California (1884), 110 U.S. 516, 28 L. Ed. 232, 4 S. Ct. 292.

In Illinois, our State Constitution provides for indictment by grand jury. Article I, section 7, of the Illinois Constitution provides that no person may be held to answer for a crime punishable by death or imprisonment unless brought by “indictment of a grand jury or the person has been given a prompt preliminary hearing to establish probable cause.” The Constitution also provides that the legislature “may abolish the grand jury or further limit its use.” Ill. Const. 1970, art. I, §7.

In providing for the grand jury, the legislature has empowered the grand jury with broad investigative powers.

“The Grand Jury has the right to subpoena and question any person against whom the State’s Attorney is seeking a Bill of Indictment, or any other person, and to obtain and examine any documents or transcripts relevant to the matter being prosecuted by the State’s Attorney.” Ill. Rev. Stat. 1989, ch. 38, par. 112— 4(b).

Upon a careful reading of both the State Constitution and the above-cited statute, we believe the defendants’ argument regarding section 112 — 4(b) of the Criminal Code of 1961 is in error.

First, the Constitution provides the legislature may abolish the grand jury or “further limit its use.” Although we express no opinion on the matter, even if the legislature has the authority to limit the investigative powers of the grand jury, the cited statute does not impose such a limitation. The statute provides that the grand jury has the right to subpoena any person and to subpoena any relevant documents or transcripts. Inherent in the grand jury’s power to subpoena any person is the power to require that person to provide evidence as long as it is done within Federal and State constitutional boundaries. The provision that the grand jury has the authority to subpoena documents or transcripts is in addition to, not a limitation on, the inherent powers of the grand jury.

For example, in People ex rel. Hanrahan v. Power (1973), 54 Ill. 2d 154, 295 N.E.2d 472, the Illinois Supreme Court implicitly rejected the restrictive interpretation the petitioners urge this court to accept. In Hanrahan, the trial court refused to issue a grand jury subpoena requiring an individual to submit handwriting exemplars to the grand jury. In response, the State filed a writ of mandamus asking the Illinois Supreme Court to order the subpoena issued. The court, citing United States v. Dionisio (1973), 410 U.S. 1, 35 L. Ed. 2d 67, 93 S. Ct. 764, granted the mandamus. Clearly, had the grand jury been without the authority to obtain the exemplars, the court would not have granted the State’s petition.

Likewise, in In re Grand Jury Investigation (1981), 92 Ill. App. 3d 856, 415 N.E.2d 1354, the trial court found the defendant guilty of contempt of court for refusing to obey a grand jury subpoena directing him to provide a set of fingerprint impressions. The court upheld the conviction and ruled that although considerations of due process apply to grand jury proceedings, the defendant had no right to refuse to comply even though he had provided the information to the grand jury previously. We agree.

Therefore, we hold that section 112 — 4(b) of the Criminal Code of 1961 does not impose a limitation on the inherent powers of the grand jury to subpoena witnesses and gather evidence.

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Related

People v. Marquez
604 N.E.2d 929 (Illinois Supreme Court, 1992)
In Re May 1991 Will County Grand Jury
604 N.E.2d 929 (Illinois Supreme Court, 1992)
Henry v. Ryan
775 F. Supp. 247 (N.D. Illinois, 1991)

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Bluebook (online)
576 N.E.2d 522, 216 Ill. App. 3d 1033, 159 Ill. Dec. 853, 1991 Ill. App. LEXIS 1292, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/marquez-v-people-illappct-1991.