People of State of Illinois v. Williams

434 N.E.2d 412, 105 Ill. App. 3d 372, 61 Ill. Dec. 259, 1982 Ill. App. LEXIS 1668
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedMarch 29, 1982
Docket80-2979
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 434 N.E.2d 412 (People of State of Illinois v. Williams) 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
People of State of Illinois v. Williams, 434 N.E.2d 412, 105 Ill. App. 3d 372, 61 Ill. Dec. 259, 1982 Ill. App. LEXIS 1668 (Ill. Ct. App. 1982).

Opinions

JUSTICE GOLDBERG

delivered the opinion of the court:

After a bench trial, Gloria Williams (defendant), was found guilty of child abduction (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1979, ch. 38, par. 10 — 5(b)(2)) and sentenced to probation for one year. She appeals.

I

Defendant contends the proof was inadequate under the reasonable doubt standard and also failed to establish she had knowledge of the court order which she allegedly violated. Clinton Williams, the child in question, testified he was 12 years old. In January of 1980 he saw his mother at his school in Markham. He went home to Harvey with her on the bus. He did not sleep in his mother’s home, but she brought him over to sleep at the home of a neighbor.

Estella Fleming testified she was duly designated as a foster parent. Clinton Williams lived with her from about February 28, 1979, until January of 1980. The boy attended school in Markham. He did not return from school on January 11, 1980. She did not give the boy permission to leave. After he left for school on January 11,1980, she did not see him for a month.

A social worker identified a copy of an order entered by the juvenile branch of the circuit court on February 23, 1979, taking the custody of Clinton Williams from his mother. On January 11, 1980, Fleming told the witness the boy was missing and had been “kidnapped.”

The social worker also testified that on January 14, 1980, he went to the area of 70th and Clyde. He saw the defendant leave the premises at 7043-7045 Clyde and return to her own address which was 7031 Clyde. Defendant was then alone. He and his department did not at any time ever give anyone, other than Estella Fleming, custody and control of the boy.

Defendant testified in her own behalf. She stated the police searched her premises on January 11,1980, but no "one was found. She testified she last saw her son on January 7, 1980, or January 8, 1980. On January 14, 1980, she was arrested. She had never heard about the order for change of her son’s custody and never received a copy thereof. She was in juvenile court on the day in question but the judge did not say anything about the custody of the child.

Laura Bowers, a schoolmate of the boy, testified in rebuttal. On January 11, 1980, she attended school with Clinton Williams. At about 3 o’clock when school was over, she walked out of the building with Clinton some 3 feet in front of her. She saw a lady, whom she identified as the defendant, on the other side of the street. That day the police showed her a picture which was that of the same lady. She told the police that was the person who took Clinton. She recognized this lady as the one who called Clinton over to her.

In our opinion, despite the denial by defendant, the evidence proves beyond reasonable doubt and to a moral certainty that defendant not only was aware of the order for custody but deliberately sought to evade it by taking Clinton from the school and keeping him in her custody for a number of days. She concealed Clinton by taking him over to the neighbor’s house at night. The denial by defendant simply raises an issue of credibility. In our opinion, the trial judge correctly resolved the issue of credibility. His determination may not be reversed by this court. We may not substitute our judgment for that of the trial judge. People v. Powell (1978), 72 Ill. 2d 50, 65, 377 N.E.2d 803, cert. denied (1979), 440 U.S. 907, 59 L. Ed. 2d 455, 99 S. Ct. 1214.

II

Defendant urges her son Clinton, 12 years old, and Laura Bowers, 11 years old, were not competent witnesses. As regards Clinton, the trial court conducted a thorough hearing regarding his competency to testify. Both counsel supplemented the questions put by the trial court. As regards Laura Bowers, the trial judge conducted a thorough examination of the witness. Both counsel indicated they had no additional questions. The trial court found each of these witnesses competent.

As a general matter, “the degree of a child’s intelligence, and not his age, determines his competency * * (People v. Edwards (1973), 55 Ill. 2d 25, 33, 302 N.E.2d 306, cert. denied (1974), 415 U.S. 928, 39 L. Ed. 2d 486, 94 S. Ct. 1438.) This proposition has been correctly described as “axiomatic in Illinois.” (People v. Nash (1980), 90 Ill. App. 3d 612, 617, 413 N.E.2d 16, and cases there cited.) In In re Cruz (1979), 76 Ill. App. 3d 565, 568, 395 N.E.2d 388, this court, following People v. Ballinger (1967), 36 Ill. 2d 620, 622, 225 N.E.2d 10, cert. denied (1967), 388 U.S. 920, 18 L. Ed. 2d 1366, 87 S. Ct. 2141, held:

“In determining the minor’s intelligence, the judge should consider whether the minor is sufficiently mature to: (1) receive correct impressions from his senses; (2) recollect these impressions; (3) understand questions and narrate answers intelligently; and (4) appreciate the moral duty to tell the truth.”

Thus, the age of the young witness is not the governing point. The courts have held witnesses of 10 or even 8 years of age competent to testify. (See People v. Luigs (1981), 96 Ill. App. 3d 700, 706-07, 421 N.E.2d 961.) In addition, it is universally adjudged that the determination of competency by the trial judge “will not be overturned unless it appears that there was a manifest abuse of discretion.” People v. Luigs (1981), 96 Ill. App. 3d 700, 707. See also In re Cruz (1979), 76 Ill. App. 3d 565, 568.

We find no abuse of discretion as regards the competency of either of these witnesses. On the contrary, the able and thorough trial judge acted with complete legal propriety in his ruling on the competency of both witnesses. We need note only defendant’s argument that Clinton was not competent because he stated he had 17 sisters. The record shows that the witness last saw his sisters when he was about 3 years old. As the State correctly points out, this argument raises simply the point regarding the ability of a 3-year-old to recollect. We find no error in this regard.

Defendant adds criticism of the trial court in allegedly basing his finding of guilty on matters outside the record. On the issue of whether defendant had actual knowledge of the order of the juvenile court, the trial court observed that he had sat in the juvenile court, was familiar to an extent with the proceedings there and therefore was “mindful of the notice that must be given to parents before such orders are entered.”

We regard this argument as being without substance. Defendant cites and relies upon inapplicable cases such as People v. Nelson (1974), 58 Ill. 2d 61, 317 N.E.2d 31, in which the trial judge held fact-finding conferences in his chambers outside of the presence of defendant or his counsel.

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People of State of Illinois v. Williams
434 N.E.2d 412 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1982)

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Bluebook (online)
434 N.E.2d 412, 105 Ill. App. 3d 372, 61 Ill. Dec. 259, 1982 Ill. App. LEXIS 1668, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-of-state-of-illinois-v-williams-illappct-1982.