People v. Cummings

530 N.E.2d 672, 176 Ill. App. 3d 293, 125 Ill. Dec. 514, 1988 Ill. App. LEXIS 1558
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedNovember 7, 1988
Docket3—87—0537 through 3—87—0539 cons.
StatusPublished
Cited by24 cases

This text of 530 N.E.2d 672 (People v. Cummings) 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. Cummings, 530 N.E.2d 672, 176 Ill. App. 3d 293, 125 Ill. Dec. 514, 1988 Ill. App. LEXIS 1558 (Ill. Ct. App. 1988).

Opinion

JUSTICE WOMBACHER

delivered the opinion of the court:

The trial court convicted the defendant, Timothy Cummings, of driving under the influence of alcohol, driving with a breath-alcohol content greater than 0.10, and driving while his license was revoked. (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1987, ch. 95%, pars. 11-501(a)(2), 11-501(a)(1), 6-303(a).) The court sentenced the defendant to 75 days in a work-release program. The defendant appeals.

The record shows, that on May 16, 1986, University Park police officer B. Cronin found the defendant’s car in a ditch. Officer Cronin testified that the defendant was slumped over the steering wheel, passed out. After turning off the car’s engine, Cronin woke the defendant. Officer Cronin noted that the. defendant had trouble standing, walking and responding to questions. From her experience as a police officer, she believed he was intoxicated. An intoxilyzer subsequently revealed that the defendant had a breath-alcohol content of 0.13.

On cross-examination, Officer Cronin acknowledged that in her report of the incident she had not stated that the car’s engine was running, only that the keys were in the vehicle. Cronin further noted that when she found it, the car was not driveable and had to be towed away.

The defendant testified that when Officer Cronin found him in his car, he was lying on the front seat, asleep and with his car keys in his pocket. He denied drinking any alcohol prior to driving into the ditch. Only after he realized that he was stuck did he drink two cans of beer he had in the backseat. He later learned that his car had a broken tie rod.

On appeal, the defendant first argues that he was not proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of driving while under the influence of alcohol.

Section 11 — 501 of the Illinois Vehicle Code (the Code) provides in relevant part:

“(a) A person shall not drive or be in actual physical control of any vehicle within this State while:
1. The alcohol concentration in such person’s blood or breath is 0.10 or more ***; [or]
2. Under the influence of alcohol.” Ill. Rev. Stat. 1987, ch. 95 1/2, pars. 11-501(a)(l), (a)(2).

In support of his argument, the defendant contends that there was no evidence that he was intoxicated before his car went into the ditch. He cites several cases in which the defendants were in car accidents and were later arrested when they returned to their cars drunk. In each case, the court found that the State had failed to prove that the defendant was intoxicated at the time he drove his car. (See People v. Flores (1976), 41 Ill. App. 3d 96, 353 N.E.2d 131.) In those cases, however, the defendants clearly were not in actual physical control of their cars when they were arrested. Accordingly, since we find that this case is controlled by the “actual physical control” clause of section 11 — 501, we find the defendant’s argument unpersuasive.

Numerous Illinois cases have discussed what constitutes “actual physical control” of a vehicle. It is well established that the defendant need not actually be operating a moving vehicle. (People v. Guynn (1975), 33 Ill. App. 3d 736, 338 N.E.2d 239.) Beyond that, actual physical control is a question of fact which must be decided on a case-by-case basis. (People v. Heimann (1986), 142 Ill. App. 3d 197, 491 N.E.2d 872.) However, certain evidence has repeatedly been held to indicate actual physical control. Generally, proof that the defendant was in the driver’s seat, possessed the ignition key, and had the physical capability of starting the engine and driving or moving the vehicle establishes actual physical control. Heimann, 142 Ill. App. 3d at 199.

Further, Illinois courts have repeatedly held that a defendant may be in actual physical control of his vehicle even though he is asleep in it. (People v. Clark (1977), 47 Ill. App. 3d 568, 362 N.E.2d 407.) Many of the cases with that holding rely on People v. Guynn (1975), 33 Ill. App. 3d 736, 338 N.E.2d 239. There, this court held that it did “not see anything which would imply a legislative intent or public policy to permit an intoxicated person to ‘sleep it off’ behind the wheel of a parked car.” 33 Ill. App. 3d at 739, 338 N.E.2d at 241.

Guynn has had its detractors. In People v. Barlow (1987), 163 Ill. App. 3d 281, 516 N.E.2d 982, the defendant left a tavern in which he had been drinking, crossed the street to his legally parked truck, got in and went to sleep. He was subsequently arrested and his driver’s license was summarily suspended after he indirectly refused to take a breath-alcohol test. The trial court rescinded the summary suspension of the defendant’s driver’s license, finding that the police had not had reasonable grounds to believe the defendant was in actual physical control of his vehicle. Relying in part on Guynn’s finding of no “sleep-it-off” policy in Illinois, a majority of the appellate court held that the defendant was in actual physical control of his truck. However, a dissenting judge rejected Guynn, finding that there was nothing wrong with an intoxicated person getting into his truck to “sleep it off.”

The basic proposition of Guynn, that a sleeping person behind the wheel of a parked car can readily move into a driving position where he can endanger others, remains sound. Further, in an Illinois driving under the influence prosecution, the State is not required to prove the defendant’s intent to put the vehicle into motion (compare State v. Daly (1973), 64 N.J. 122, 313 A.2d 194), so a sleeping defendant’s intent is irrelevant in determining whether the State met its burden of proof.

We are concerned, however, that through time and expansion by subsequent court rulings, Guynn may have become counterproductive to society’s goal of providing safe highways. In recent years, the public and the legislature have become increasingly concerned with the injuries and deaths caused by intoxicated drivers. In an effort to keep intoxicated people from driving, the legislature has harshened the penalties for driving under the influence. The legislature’s actions have been accompanied by widespread publicity and a general media effort to educate the public against driving while intoxicated.

We can expect that most people realize, as they leave a tavern or party intoxicated, that they face serious sanctions if they drive. While the preferred response would be for such people either to find alternate means of getting home or to remain at the tavern or party without getting behind the wheel until sober, this is not always done. And while we can say that such people should have stayed sober or planned better, that does not realistically resolve this all-too-frequent predicament.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
530 N.E.2d 672, 176 Ill. App. 3d 293, 125 Ill. Dec. 514, 1988 Ill. App. LEXIS 1558, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-cummings-illappct-1988.