People v. Dixon

592 N.E.2d 1104, 228 Ill. App. 3d 29, 170 Ill. Dec. 424, 1992 Ill. App. LEXIS 652
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedApril 28, 1992
Docket1-90-0567
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 592 N.E.2d 1104 (People v. Dixon) 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. Dixon, 592 N.E.2d 1104, 228 Ill. App. 3d 29, 170 Ill. Dec. 424, 1992 Ill. App. LEXIS 652 (Ill. Ct. App. 1992).

Opinion

JUSTICE SCARIANO

delivered the opinion of the court:

Defendant Willie Dixon was employed as an officer of the Cook County sheriff’s police department and was stationed in Maywood. On January 25, 1987, Superbowl Sunday, Dixon was working as a dispatcher. It is common practice for the sheriff’s department to make audio tapes of on-duty dispatcher communications. At 12:24 p.m. Dixon received an anonymous call regarding illegal gambling at the Prime Minister Restaurant in unincorporated Northbrook. After taking the call, Dixon wrote a report on the complaint according to standard operating procedures.

Dixon then called the restaurant, and the following is a transcript of the taped conversation.

“VOICE: Prime Minister.
VOICE: Yes, is Gus there?
VOICE: Someplace.
VOICE: Can I speak to him, please? This is Dixon from Cook County Police.
VOICE: Dixon, this is Tom.
VOICE: Huh.
VOICE: Tom.
VOICE: Yeah Tom, how you doing?
VOICE: All right.
VOICE: All right. We just got a — just—we just got a couple of calls about some things going on—
VOICE: Right.
VOICE: —you know what I’m talking about?
VOICE: Right, I don’t have nothing here.
VOICE: Just — just make sure everything is covered, ‘cause the wrong people might get a word of it. Okay?
VOICE: Okay.
VOICE: Just make sure everything is covered. All right?
VOICE: Right, (inaudible) call off the other part too in the strip.
VOICE: Huh?
VOICE: Call off the strips too?
VOICE: Anything that will point in that direction, kinda— kinda keep it under cover. Okay?
VOICE: Okay. We won’t have nothing else?
VOICE: Yeah, just in case somebody comes — it—it—it—let me talk to Gus.
VOICE: Okay.
VOICE: Hello.
VOICE: Yeah, Gus.
VOICE: Yeah.
VOICE: Willie Dixon. How you doing?
VOICE: Okay, Buddy, what’s up?
VOICE: We just got a couple of calls about you know what. VOICE: Okay. Great, Thank you.
VOICE: Okay. Just, you know, keep everything under.
VOICE: Everything. All right, ‘cause the wrong folks might get word of it too, so—
VOICE: Thank you very much.
VOICE: Okay.
VOICE: Thank you, Buddy.
VOICE: All right.
VOICE: Bye.
VOICE: Bye.
VOICE: At the tone WELD time will be 12:28 and 40 seconds.”

Dixon then went on to radio codefendant, Officer Joseph Peluso:

“VOICE: 1295.
VOICE: 1295.
VOICE: Uh, make a premise check at the Prime Minister 3355 North Milwaukee. Uh, give me a call from that location. See Gus.
VOICE: 10.4.10.4.
VOICE: Yeah, 95, if you’re near the phone give me a call now.
VOICE: 10.4.
VOICE: —5 County.
VOICE: Go ahead. Go ahead.
VOICE: 22 Same, he’s finally showed up.
VOICE: Is he gonna need any backup over there?
VOICE: Negative.
VOICE: 10.4.
VOICE: Yeah, Joe.
VOICE: Yeah.
VOICE: Yeah, they did — we just got a couple of calls in reference to you know what.
VOICE: Uh-huh.
VOICE: All right. Just in case the complainant is listening, you know, we’ve got to send somebody over there.
VOICE: Right.
VOICE: Okay. I already talked with Gus, but, just, you know, just stop in and say hello and, you know, whatever.
VOICE: Uh-hmm.
VOICE: You know, I already talked with Gus. I called Gus as soon as we got the call. So—
VOICE: Okay.
VOICE: Take care of it. All right.
VOICE: All right.
VOICE: All right. Bye.
VOICE: 12:30 and 20 seconds. At the tone — 12:34 and 20 seconds.”

Sometime later, David Stetler, then Chief of the Criminal Receiving and Appellate Division of the United States Attorney’s Office in Chicago, began an investigation of Dixon and Peluso. Stetler began his investigation after being contacted by James Walsh, then Chief of the Cook County sheriff’s police, who had received an anonymous letter regarding illegal gambling activities at the Prime Minister Restaurant. Acting on the information contained on the tapes, Stetler, an FBI special agent and an IRS special agent decided to interview Dixon and Peluso. Stetler wanted to know not only if Dixon had been paid by the restaurant, but also if Dixon was involved in more than one isolated incident.

Five days after the conversations referred to above had been taped, Stetler and the other Federal agents called Dixon and went to his house in Wheeling to interview him. At trial Stetler testified that when they arrived, Dixon answered the door and invited them in.

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Related

People v. Wright
2023 IL App (1st) 220922-U (Appellate Court of Illinois, 2023)
People v. Howard
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People v. Shelton
624 N.E.2d 1205 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1993)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
592 N.E.2d 1104, 228 Ill. App. 3d 29, 170 Ill. Dec. 424, 1992 Ill. App. LEXIS 652, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-dixon-illappct-1992.