People v. Covington

917 N.E.2d 618, 334 Ill. Dec. 792, 395 Ill. App. 3d 996, 2009 Ill. App. LEXIS 1022
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedOctober 22, 2009
Docket4-08-0930
StatusPublished
Cited by29 cases

This text of 917 N.E.2d 618 (People v. Covington) 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. Covington, 917 N.E.2d 618, 334 Ill. Dec. 792, 395 Ill. App. 3d 996, 2009 Ill. App. LEXIS 1022 (Ill. Ct. App. 2009).

Opinion

JUSTICE MYERSCOUGH

delivered the opinion of the court:

In August 2008, the State petitioned the trial court to adjudicate defendant, Arthur J. Covington, in indirect criminal contempt of court for failing to comply with the court’s August 1, 2008, order requiring him to find full-time employment by August 25, 2008. In November 2008, the court found defendant in indirect criminal contempt of court, sentenced him to six months in jail, and ordered him to pay $796.50 in jail-meal fees.

Defendant appeals, arguing (1) the trial court lacked subject-matter jurisdiction to find he violated a condition of the original December 2005 supervision order, (2) the court’s use of improper contempt procedures violated his due-process rights, and (3) if this court remands the case, it should be remanded to a different judge. We vacate the trial court’s order finding defendant in indirect criminal contempt and remand for further proceedings not inconsistent with this opinion.

I. BACKGROUND

In June 2004, the State charged defendant by citation with two counts of driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI) (625 ILCS 5/11 — 501(a)(2) (West 2004)).

In November 2005, defendant pleaded guilty to count I of DUI. On the State’s motion, the trial court dismissed count II.

In December 2005, the trial court sentenced defendant as follows:

“I am placing you on supervision for a period of 24 months. You are to report twice a month to the probation office, pay a $25.00[-] per[-]month supervision fee, fined $1,000.00, pay the $100.00 DUI equipment fee, refrain from using or possessing alcohol, cannabis, or controlled substances, undergo random testing, not enter any establishment that has as its primary source of income the sale of alcohol, obtain an alcohol and drug evaluation within 30 days of today’s date, complete any recommended treatment within six months, attend VIR obey the statutory terms and conditions of supervision.”

The April 11, 2007, docket entry shows “FINE AND COSTS PAID IN FULL [AS OF] THIS DATE.”

In June 2007, the State filed a petition to revoke defendant’s supervision, alleging defendant violated supervision by testing positive for cannabis on May 21, 2007, admitting smoking cannabis on May 17, 2007, and failing to complete the DUI evaluation within the first 30 days and the recommended 10-hour DUI risk education classes within the first 6 months.

In August 2007, the State filed an amended petition to revoke defendant’s supervision, alleging defendant again tested positive for cannabis on August 15, 2007.

In October 2007, the trial court held a hearing on the State’s petition and revoked defendant’s supervision.

In November 2007, the trial court entered a written order unsuccessfully discharging defendant’s supervision, entered a judgment of conviction, and sentenced defendant to 90 days in jail. The court also ordered defendant to pay $398.25 in jail-meal fees.

In March 2008, the trial court called the case for hearing on defendant’s ability to pay the jail-meal fees. No transcript of the proceeding is included in the record. However, the March 14, 2008, docket entry shows the following:

“[The People] appear by SA Jerry Johnson. [Defendant] appears pro se. Cause called for [hearing] on ability to pay. [Defendant] states he is unemployed and on [motion] of [the People] cause reset for further review to April 25, 2008, at 10 a.m. [Defendant] ordered to return said date with 20 completed/submitted job [applications].”

The parties agree the court ordered defendant to appear on April 25, 2008, with 20 completed and submitted job applications.

On April 25, 2008, defendant appeared pro se and informed the trial court he was unemployed. However, defendant failed to present any job applications to the court.

In May 2008, the State filed “A Petition For Rule To Show Cause Indirect Civil Contempt,” alleging defendant willfully and contumaciously violated an order of the trial court by failing to return to court on April 25, 2008, with 20 completed and submitted job applications.

In June 2008, the trial court held a hearing on the State’s petition. Defendant appeared pro se and admitted he had failed to bring the job applications to court. The court found defendant in willful contempt of court for failing to obey the March 14, 2008, order. The court then ordered defendant to purge himself of contempt by reappearing in court each weekday morning at 8:45 a.m. with a completed and submitted job application until he obtained employment.

Between June 20, 2008, and July 7, 2008, defendant appeared each weekday with a completed and submitted job application.

On July 8, 2008, defendant’s case was reassigned to Judge Chris Freese due to the retirement of Judge Stephen Peters. Defendant continued to appear each weekday with a job application through July 29, 2008.

On August 1, 2008, defendant appeared pro se and notified the trial court he was not currently employed. The court sua sponte ordered defendant to obtain full-time employment by August 25, 2008, or face indirect criminal contempt. The following colloquy took place:

“THE COURT: Well Mr. Covington, we’re going to change tactics here. I’m simply going to order you to get a job and be full-time employed by the next time you come to court. If you are not employed, we are going to go directly to indirect criminal contempt for which, if you are found in indirect criminal contempt, you can be sentenced to six months in the county jail. If you don’t wish to work, that’s fine, but you will be going to jail when you’re found in contempt. I am not going to have you come back into court every week to show you have applied for a job. I am ordering you to find full-time employment. Doesn’t matter if it’s working at McDonald’s; doesn’t matter if it’s hauling garbage, or mowing yards. Unless you have a letter from a doctor that says you’re incapable of holding any type of employment, I expect you to be employed by the next court date. Do you understand that?
[DEFENDANT:] I have been coming in everyday [sic], not every week.
THE COURT: And you’re coming back again, and the next court date you will either have a job, or we will arraign you on a contempt petition. I am not going to mess around with this case any further. Do you understand that?
[DEFENDANT:] NO RESPONSE BY DEFENDANT.
THE COURT: Do you understand that, Mr. Covington? You either have a job by the next court date, or we go to arraignment on a contempt petition? Is that clear?
[DEFENDANT:] I thought I was in contempt. That’s why I was here anyway.
THE COURT: Not according to what I show.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
917 N.E.2d 618, 334 Ill. Dec. 792, 395 Ill. App. 3d 996, 2009 Ill. App. LEXIS 1022, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-covington-illappct-2009.