People v. Bedenkop

625 N.E.2d 123, 252 Ill. App. 3d 419, 192 Ill. Dec. 163, 1993 Ill. App. LEXIS 1237, 1993 WL 306970
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedAugust 13, 1993
Docket1-92-0604
StatusPublished
Cited by20 cases

This text of 625 N.E.2d 123 (People v. Bedenkop) 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 v. Bedenkop, 625 N.E.2d 123, 252 Ill. App. 3d 419, 192 Ill. Dec. 163, 1993 Ill. App. LEXIS 1237, 1993 WL 306970 (Ill. Ct. App. 1993).

Opinions

JUSTICE McNULTY

delivered the opinion of the court:

On February 7, 1990, defendant Cathy Bedenkop pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver and delivery of a controlled substance and was sentenced to two years’ probation. (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1985, ch. 56x/2, par. 1401(c).) In October 1991, a petition to revoke defendant’s probation was filed for her failure to “appear and report.” Following an evidentiary hearing, her probation was revoked and she was sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment. On appeal, defendant contends that the trial court committed error in conducting the probation revocation proceedings by considering improper evidence and assuming the role of prosecutor and that the sentence imposed was manifestly erroneous. We agree with the defendant.

At the revocation hearing, Tina Moore, a probation officer, was examined by the court and testified that defendant failed to report on August 20 and September 18, 1991. Moore stated that defendant called her on August 20, 1991, the reporting date. She directed defendant to call the following week. When defendant called as directed, Moore told her that the next report date was September 18, 1991. When defendant appeared September 19, 1991, to report to Moore she was arrested on the probation violation petition. Moore also testified without objection by defense counsel that medical reports indicated that on September 13, 1991, defendant gave birth to an infant addicted to cocaine.

Defendant was then sworn and examined by the court. She testified that she did not remember the August appointment, but that when she called about her September appointment, the probation officer said she seemed ill and rescheduled the appointment for a Friday. Defendant was arrested on the probation violation petition when she appeared for that appointment.

The following colloquy then took place between defendant and the court without objection by defense counsel:

“THE COURT: You were arrested after you came in.
THE DEFENDANT: Right.
THE COURT: And with respect to the baby born addicted to...allegedly addicted to cocaine, did you in fact give birth to a child so addicted?
THE DEFENDANT: Yes, I did, but it also...its not habitual use.
THE COURT: The child nonetheless is addicted to cocaine and presently addicted to cocaine or suffers from the fact that you were using cocaine while he was in your womb?
THE DEFENDANT: I used it once during my pregnancy and once a couple of times prior to my pregnancy.”

Diane Pruitt, a Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) child welfare worker, was next called to testify by the court. Pruitt, pursuant to examination by the court, testified that defendant would not cooperate in obtaining a drug assessment and that Pruitt had removed defendant’s infant from the home and placed him in foster care because of his cocaine addiction accompanied by withdrawal symptoms, including night sweats and tremors. The court’s examination of DCFS worker Pruitt had nothing to do with defendant’s failure to report but dealt only with defendant’s failure to cooperate in a drug assessment and placement of her baby in foster care for cocaine addiction.

Defendant first contends that she was deprived of her due process rights when her probation was revoked due to her cocaine use rather than her failure to report. A defendant at a probation revocation proceeding is not entitled to the same due process protections available at trial for a substantive criminal offense. (People v. Cox (1989), 197 Ill. App. 3d 239, 554 N.E.2d 360.) However, a defendant in a probation revocation proceeding is entitled to minimum due process rights which include written notice of the alleged conduct and to be judged by a neutral and detached trial judge. (People v. Hoyt (1984), 129 Ill. App. 3d 331, 472 N.E.2d 568.) In a probation revocation proceeding, the State must prove a violation of probation by a preponderance of the evidence, while using only competent evidence. People v. Reynolds (1980), 91 Ill. App. 3d 683, 415 N.E.2d 685.

In the instant case, the petition to revoke defendant’s probation was based only on her failure to report. When the revocation of probation hearing began, the trial court stated that, “This matter appears on the Court’s calendar for sentencing.” The judge then asked whether there had been a hearing on defendant’s violation of probation. The following discussion then occurred:

“STATE’S ATTORNEY: Must have been because you ordered a pre-sentence.
THE COURT: I want to make sure that we’ve had a hearing. Let’s see the half sheet.
DEFENSE COUNSEL: I can’t tell from my notes last time whether there was a hearing.
THE COURT: We’ll make sure that the record does reflect that to be the case. Can I have a copy of the petition, please?
A PROBATION OFFICER: Are you going to do a hearing?
THE COURT: I am going to have to do a hearing.”

After being informed that the petition for revocation was based only on defendant’s failure to report, and apparently before defendant even entered the courtroom, the court stated that “[defendant’s] been using cocaine. That’s another allegation that ought to be contained in the matter, that the baby is now addicted to cocaine.”

At the conclusion of probation officer Moore’s testimony about defendant’s failure to report, the trial court stated that it was allowing the State to enlarge the grounds for revocation to include the fact that defendant used cocaine and had given birth to a child addicted to cocaine. The State had not requested this enlargement. Apparently, defense counsel never objected, asked for a continuance, or warned defendant about her right against self-incrimination. The fifth amendment privilege against self-incrimination exists at revocation probation hearings and counsel is ineffective if he does not control the assertion and the waiver of the privilege. (People v. Yantis (1984), 125 Ill. App. 3d 767, 466 N.E.2d 603.) Instead, defense counsel specifically asked defendant whether she used cocaine and whether her baby was bom addicted to cocaine. The trial judge then stated his finding that defendant had violated the terms and conditions of her probation.

These events strongly support defendant’s contention that she was deprived of her due process rights in several respects when the court on its own motion broadened the scope of the revocation proceeding without providing her with notice. (See People v. Saucier (1991), 221 Ill. App. 3d 287, 581 N.E.2d 852

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
625 N.E.2d 123, 252 Ill. App. 3d 419, 192 Ill. Dec. 163, 1993 Ill. App. LEXIS 1237, 1993 WL 306970, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-bedenkop-illappct-1993.