People v. Collins

530 N.E.2d 1143, 176 Ill. App. 3d 169, 125 Ill. Dec. 734, 1988 Ill. App. LEXIS 1563
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedNovember 9, 1988
Docket86-0446
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 530 N.E.2d 1143 (People v. Collins) 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. Collins, 530 N.E.2d 1143, 176 Ill. App. 3d 169, 125 Ill. Dec. 734, 1988 Ill. App. LEXIS 1563 (Ill. Ct. App. 1988).

Opinion

JUSTICE McNAMARA

delivered the opinion of the court:

A jury found defendant Sidney Collins guilty of rape, home invasion, and aggravated battery. The trial court sentenced defendant to concurrent terms of 60 years for rape, 30 years for home invasion and 5 years for aggravated battery. Defendant appeals, contending that the State failed to prove him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt; that the trial court erred in denying his motion to suppress identifications from a suggestive photographic display and subsequent lineup; and that the trial court erred in admitting certain hearsay evidence.

Between 9:45 and 10:15 a.m., on June 28, 1984, a 59-year old woman was raped in her home in Cicero, Illinois. The victim testified that she showered after mowing the lawn, donned a robe, and was suddenly knocked to the floor with an afghan thrown over her head. As she was pushed onto her bed, the victim pulled up the afghan slightly and saw defendant. He had a “big head of hair” and a beard, and a nylon stocking over his head. He raped her and then put her in the bathroom, instructing her to lock the door from the inside. The victim yelled out the window to a neighbor, Rose Parma, that she had been raped. Parma telephoned the police. The victim later found $90 missing from her purse. The victim was unable to identify defendant at trial.

Georgette Ruf, a neighbor, testified that at about 9:40 a.m. she saw a grey car pull up outside, about 40 feet from her window. Ruf saw defendant exit the car, open the trunk, return to the car, sit and wait, then again exit the car. Ruf testified that she “got a good look at” him. As he walked by her window, he held a knee high stocking in each hand. Ruf thought he behaved suspiciously, and she wrote down the license plate number on his car. She went out to her porch to verify the number, and then placed the slip of paper in a book. Ruf later saw defendant “galloping” towards his car, and then driving away. Ruf described him as having light skin, bushy hair and a beard. He wore a beige knit shirt with matching pants. She could not identify his race. Ruf identified defendant in both photographic and physical lineups and in court. She testified that she paid no attention to the differences in size or color, or to the quality of the photographs in the array.

Pamela Cuneen, a neighbor, had just driven up to her home at 9:45 a.m. when she saw defendant walk by her car. He had “big shoulders, lots of hair, a beard and a compact body.” She waited in the car until he passed because he “looked a little frightening.” He walked right past her car and she saw his profile. He was “a portrait in tan and beige and brown because his clothes were brown and his arms were brown.” She had not thought he was black because, in late June, “everybody had suntans and he was kind of brown-skinned.” Cuneen identified defendant in photographic and physical lineups. At trial, she testified that she “saw enough so that [she] could identify him in the pictures.” At trial she identified him again.

Rose Parma testified that she and her husband were watering the front lawn when she heard the victim’s front door slam. Parma turned to look because the victim generally used her back door. Parma saw defendant running from the house. He “stopped dead” and stared at Parma. She “got a very good look at him” with an unobstructed view and observed him for several seconds. Parma described defendant as a man with long bushy hair, which was messy but full. He wore a tan shirt, tan pants, and brown shoes. “He had darker skin, I thought he was Arabian.” At trial she testified: “Well, to me he still looks Arabian.” Parma identified defendant in photographic and physical lineups and at trial. She testified that she was quite certain of defendant’s identification.

At the suppression hearing, defendant argued that the six photographs in the array included five white men and that defendant’s picture was the only one of a black man. Moreover, defendant’s picture was the only one with black edges, was slightly larger than the others, and was of a better quality. The State countered that defendant’s photographs were put with white men because he had very light skin and to place them with photos of other black men would have been too suggestive. Moreover, none of the witnesses had described him as black. Once the police learned defendant was black, they placed him in a lineup with other black men.

The trial court found that the photographic display had not been impermissibly suggestive and denied defendant’s motion to suppress the photographic and subsequent eyewitness identification evidence.

Officer Bill Cavan ess testified for the State that in normal traffic conditions it takes approximately six minutes to drive from Pope’s barbershop to the victim’s home.

Defendant offered several witnesses who testified as alibi witnesses. Sandra Robles, defendant’s girlfriend, testified that she spent the night of June 27 with defendant. Between 8:15 a.m. and 8:30 a.m., defendant left for Pope’s barbershop, where he worked.

David Pope, the barbershop’s owner, testified that between 10 and 10:15 a.m. he left defendant at the barbershop. He kept no records reflecting hours an employee was at work.

Larry Temple testified that he spoke with defendant sometime that morning. He could not recall the time and did not know where defendant was at 10:15 a.m.

Alberta Walker, a relative of defendant’s, testified that between 9:30 and 9:40 a.m. she spoke with defendant at the barbershop. At approximately 11 a.m., although she was not sure of the exact time, she spoke with defendant on the telephone.

Linda Collins, who works at a cleaners store next to the barbershop, testified that sometime between 9 and 10 a.m. defendant brought some clothes to the cleaners.

Tommy Williams, a barbershop customer, testified that he and Pope left the shop between 10:15 and 10:30 a.m., and defendant was in the shop at that time. Williams admitted telling the police in different interviews that they left the shop at 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m., or noon.

Defendant testified that he arrived at the barbershop at 9:15 a.m. He went to the cleaners and the grocery store and returned to the barbershop at 9:35 a.m. At 10:30 a.m., Pope and Williams left the shop and defendant remained in the shop for the remainder of the morning. He spoke with Walker at 11 a.m. On cross-examination, defendant stated that in the last 10 years he had been convicted twice for robbery and once for burglary.

Defendant contends that he was not proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt because the identification testimony was unreliable and his alibi was corroborated. This court may not substitute its judgment as to the weight of disputed evidence or the credibility of witnesses. Unless the evidence is so improbable that a reasonable doubt remains, the conviction will not be disturbed. People v. Collins (1985), 106 Ill. 2d 237, 478 N.E.2d 267, rehearing denied (1985), 474 U.S. 935, 88 L. Ed. 2d 274, 106 S. Ct. 585; People v. Novotny (1968), 41 Ill. 2d 401, 244 N.E.2d 182.

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Related

In re Commitment of Collins
2022 IL App (1st) 201010-U (Appellate Court of Illinois, 2022)
Collins v. Scott
N.D. Illinois, 2019
People v. Miller
626 N.E.2d 1350 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1993)
People v. Favors
626 N.E.2d 1265 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1993)
People v. Woodard
589 N.E.2d 924 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1992)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
530 N.E.2d 1143, 176 Ill. App. 3d 169, 125 Ill. Dec. 734, 1988 Ill. App. LEXIS 1563, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-collins-illappct-1988.