People v. Cooper

332 N.E.2d 453, 30 Ill. App. 3d 326, 1975 Ill. App. LEXIS 2613
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedJune 25, 1975
Docket58689
StatusPublished
Cited by17 cases

This text of 332 N.E.2d 453 (People v. Cooper) 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. Cooper, 332 N.E.2d 453, 30 Ill. App. 3d 326, 1975 Ill. App. LEXIS 2613 (Ill. Ct. App. 1975).

Opinion

Mr. JUSTICE ADESKO

delivered the opinion of the court:

Following a jury trial in the Circuit Court of Cook County, the defendant, Raymond Cooper, was found guilty of murder, burglary, and robbery and was sentenced to serve concurrent terms of 14 to 18 years for murder, 2 to 4 years for burglary and 2 to 4 years for robbery.

On appeal the defendant’s contentions are the following:

(1) The defendant did not knowingly and understandingly waive his Miranda rights, and, concomitantly, no weight should be given to the trial court’s ruling on the motion to suppress;
(2) The trial judge erred by failing to give defendant’s withdrawal instruction;
(3) Reversible error was committed when a confession instruction, rather than an admission instruction, was submitted to the jury; and
(4) The robbery and burglary arose from the same act.

On August 16, 1971, a hearing was held on defendant’s motion to suppress the following statement, made on October 6, 1970, by Cooper before Chicago Police Investigators William Nolan and William Foster:

“Nolan: What is your name, age, address and date of birth?
Cooper: Raymond Cooper, I’m 17 and live at 4342 W. 21st PI. May 19, 1953.
Nolan: What is your business or occupation and with whom do you reside?
Cooper: I am unemployed at this time and I live with my parents.
Nolan: Do you know where you are at this time and for what reason?
Cooper: I’m at the Maxwell St. Police Station and I’m here to tell you what I know about the lady that was found dead downstairs from where Reginald Stenson lives.
Nolan: You mean Reginald Stenson who lives at 4258 W. 21st PI. on the second floor and who is presently charged with the murder of this lady who is identified as Leola Thompson?
Cooper: Yes that is the same one.
Nolan: Now Raymond before we go any further you have been told that you also face possible charges in this murder is that right?
Cooper: Yes that is right?
Nolan: Knowing this and also the fact that you have been warned of your constitutional rights to remain silent, that you have a right to have an attorney before any statement you give, that anything you say can and will be used against you at a later date in a court of law and also that if you cannot afford to hire an attorney the State will provide one for you and that attorney can be present before you answer any questions or give any statement, do you still wish to give this statement after being so informed and understanding all of these rights? /initialed/
Cooper: Yes I do.
Nolan: Will you initial the last question I asked you so it will indicate you have read and understood and waived your rights under the constitutional laws?
Cooper: Yes I will.
Nolan: Now will you go ahead and in your own words tell just what you know about the killing of Leola Thompson?
Cooper: On Sunday night, the 27th of Sept. 1970 me and Reginald had been playing cards in my house and about 1 or 2 in the morning we left and that was when we ran into Walter Dixon on the street. Walter asked Reggie and me if we wanted to make any cash money and we said yea man how can we do it? Then Walter said we can rip off that broad that owns the taverns that lives downstairs from Reggie. We were a little afraid to do it but Walter kind of acted like the boss because he was older and he said that there wouldn’t be any trouble. Then Walter, Reggie and me went into Reggie’s basement from the back door. I don’t know how the door was opened but I know that’s how we all got in and then we went up to the lady’s apartment through the basement door. [End of page one] /initialed/
Nolan: Please continue on with your statement—
Cooper: Well like I said we went up through the basement stairs and hid in the kitchen behind the door until she came home. Then the lady came in through her kitchen door and I grabbed her from behind and Reggie also grabbed her and Walter wrapped a towel around her face and head to keep her from screaming. The lady then slipped and fell on the floor and Walter said to tie her hands behind her back. Reggie and I were holding her down and she was laying on her side and Walter tied her hands behind her back. After she was tied up I asked Walter what he was going to do and he said now we will see if the broad has got some money. Then I got scared and I told Reggie and Walter that I was leaving and I went back down the same way we came in. I was going out when I called for Reggie to come and he said alright and then we both left out. Walter was still in the house with the lady when we left.
Nolan: Where did you and Reggie go after you left the woman’s house?
Cooper: We went back to my house and then a short time later Reggie left and said he was going home because he had to go to work in the morning.
Nolan: When was the next time you saw Walter Dixon?
Cooper: The next morning I saw him on the block where we live and he said “Hey man Reggie killed that broad” and I told him not to say that and then we saw Reggie and Walter said to him, “Man you must have killed that broad” and Reggie got mad and told Walter that if anyone kiUed her you did because Ray and I left you alone with the broad after we left.
Nolan: When you left you saw the lady on the floor tied up in the kitchen is that right?
Cooper: Yes, that is right.
Nolan: Do you know where we can locate Walter Dixon at this time?
Cooper: Well if he is not at home he is somewhere on the street because he is always on the street.
Nolan: Is there anything else you can add to this statement?
Cooper: No except that if there was any money stolen from that lady I didn’t get any of it and Walter must have taken it all.
Nolan: If you are asked these same questions at a later date will your answers to these questions be substantially the same as you have now stated?
Cooper: Yes, because I’m tefling the truth.

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Bluebook (online)
332 N.E.2d 453, 30 Ill. App. 3d 326, 1975 Ill. App. LEXIS 2613, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-cooper-illappct-1975.