People v. Bolton

Procedural entryThis page is a short order in People v. Bolton. Read the opinion of the Court — 382 Ill. App. 3d 714
Appellate Court of Illinois·Decided May 8, 2008·No. 2-06-0462 Rel·Published

Opinion

No. 2--06--0462 Filed: 5-8-08

IN THE

APPELLATE COURT OF ILLINOIS

SECOND DISTRICT

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE ) Appeal from the Circuit Court OF ILLINOIS, ) of Du Page County. ) Plaintiff-Appellee, ) ) v. ) No. 04--CF--2889 ) W.B. BOLTON, ) Honorable ) Kathryn E. Creswell, Defendant-Appellant. ) Judge, Presiding.

JUSTICE GROMETER delivered the opinion of the court:

Defendant, W.B. Bolton, was convicted of burglary (720 ILCS 5/19--1(a) (West 2004)),

following a jury trial in the circuit court of Du Page County. The trial court imposed an extended-

term sentence of 12 years' imprisonment. He now appeals, challenging both his conviction and his

sentence. He argues that the trial court did not conduct an adequate inquiry into his pro se claim of

ineffective assistance of counsel (see People v. Moore, 207 Ill. 2d 68, 77-79 (2003)) and that his

sentence violates the rule set forth in Apprendi v. New Jersey, 530 U.S. 466, 490, 147 L. Ed. 2d 435,

455, 120 S. Ct. 2348, 2362-63 (2000). We disagree with both contentions, and, accordingly, we

affirm.

I. BACKGROUND No. 2--06--0462

Defendant's burglary conviction stems from an incident in which defendant allegedly entered

a grocery store in Wheaton with the intent to commit a theft. Specifically, defendant entered the

store while in possession of a fake identification card and a check belonging to someone else.

Defendant attempted to use the check to purchase various items and also obtain some cash. See

People v. Smith, 264 Ill. App. 3d 82, 86 (1994), quoting People v. Weaver, 41 Ill. 2d 434, 439 (1968)

(" 'But authority to enter a business building, or other building open to the public, extends only to

those who enter with a purpose consistent with the reason the building is open. [Citation.] An entry

with the intent to commit a theft cannot be said to be within the authority granted patrons of a

laundromat' "). Knowingly passing a bad check constitutes theft. People v. Reans, 20 Ill. App. 3d

1005, 1006-08 (1974). Defendant does not challenge the sufficiency of the evidence, so we need not

set it forth in more detail.

Following his trial, defendant filed a pro se motion. The motion contained, inter alia, the

following statement: "Counsel failed to anything [sic] in preparation for a trial, field [sic] no motions

to suppress video, indictment/information, etc." At a hearing on the motion, the trial court asked

about several things defendant listed in the motion regarding his counsel's purported ineffectiveness.

The court first inquired regarding defendant's claim that counsel should have called Officer Gruden

to testify because there was a discrepancy between his police report and a surveillance videotape.

After extensively discussing that claim, the trial court asked, "What else?" Defendant brought up

counsel's failure to call other witnesses, including his sister, to testify. Also, defendant addressed

counsel's failure to place into evidence the clothing he was wearing at the time of his arrest, as there

was apparently some dispute regarding his description. The court then asked, "Okay, Anything

else?" Defendant replied, "It's several things, if you want to get into it." The court stated, "I do want

-2- No. 2--06--0462

to get into it. You've raised the issues so I want you to tell me what your complaints are." Defendant

brought up Gruden again. Defendant then complained that counsel did not keep him adequately

apprised of what was transpiring. Defendant stated that he lost faith in counsel, that counsel failed

to present evidence and withheld evidence, and that counsel refused to file a motion to dismiss as

defendant requested. The court inquired as to the basis of the motion to dismiss, and defendant

explained that he believed that the grand jury testimony did not support the charge. The court again

asked, "Anything else?" Defendant again mentioned Gruden's police report. Once more, the court

asked, "Anything else?" Defendant stated, "There is so much." Defendant explained that he and

counsel did not get along. He also reiterated that counsel did not present "all the facts." Notably,

during this lengthy conversation with the court, despite the court's repeated open-ended questions,

defendant never mentioned suppressing his confession.

The case then moved to the sentencing phase. The presentence report indicated that

defendant had previously been convicted of "Aggravated Vehicle Hijacking" and "Possession of

Controlled Substance." The former is a Class X felony. 720 ILCS 5/18--4(b) (West 2004). The

latter, depending on the circumstances, could be a Class 4 felony. See 720 ILCS 570/402(c) (West

2004). The State, however, had a copy of a sentencing order that it believed was a result of that latter

conviction. According to the order, defendant was actually convicted of possession of a controlled

substance with intent to deliver, a Class 2 felony. That document contained the notation, "PCS W/I."

Defense counsel consulted with defendant, and defendant recalled being convicted only of simple

possession. This difference is important because, if defendant had been previously convicted of two

Class 2 or greater offenses, he was subject to sentencing as a Class X offender. 730 ILCS 5/5--5--

3(c)(8) (West 2004).

-3- No. 2--06--0462

The trial court granted a continuance, and a transcript of the sentencing hearing in the earlier

possession case was obtained. When the hearing resumed, defense counsel pointed out to the trial

court that the transcript stated that the sentencing order was entered on July 25, 1996, but that the

court reporter's certification stated that the hearing at issue took place on July 25, 1997. Defense

counsel stated that, based on this discrepancy, defendant was "still disputing the class of that

offense." The trial court inquired as to the terms of the guilty plea that were reflected in the

transcript. Defense counsel informed the court that the transcript stated that defendant was charged

with a Class 1 felony but that, after a Rule 402 conference (177 Ill. 2d R. 402), it was amended to

a Class 2 felony. The trial court then asked the State whether it had a certified copy of the

conviction. The State indicated that it had only a fax copy,1 but that the copy showed the date of the

conviction as July 25, 1996 (which is also the date indicated in the presentence report). The trial

court noted that the cover page of the transcript was dated July 25, 1996, as well. The transcript is

not a part of the record on appeal. The court then found that the conviction was of a Class 2

felony, specifically noting that nothing corroborated defendant's recollection that the conviction was

of simple possession. It sentenced defendant to 12 years' imprisonment. Defendant now appeals.

II. ANALYSIS

Defendant first argues that the trial court failed to make an adequate inquiry into his pro se

posttrial motion alleging that his trial attorney was ineffective. Defendant also argues that the

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