People v. Elliott

785 N.E.2d 545, 337 Ill. App. 3d 275, 271 Ill. Dec. 613, 2003 Ill. App. LEXIS 187
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedFebruary 14, 2003
Docket3-02-0397
StatusPublished
Cited by21 cases

This text of 785 N.E.2d 545 (People v. Elliott) 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. Elliott, 785 N.E.2d 545, 337 Ill. App. 3d 275, 271 Ill. Dec. 613, 2003 Ill. App. LEXIS 187 (Ill. Ct. App. 2003).

Opinion

JUSTICE HOLDRIDGE

delivered the opinion of the court:

The defendant, David L. Elliott, was convicted of aggravated battery and driving while under the influence of alcohol (DUI). 720 ILCS 5/12 — 4(b)(6) (West 2000); 625 ILCS 5/11 — 501(a)(2) (West 2000). The trial court sentenced defendant to a term of probation. Defendant appeals, contending that (1) the police officer did not have authority to stop and arrest him because the officer was outside the municipality where he was employed; (2) the State failed to prove him guilty of aggravated battery or driving while under the influence of alcohol beyond a reasonable doubt; and (3) he was prejudiced by the presence of the State’s primary witness at counsel table throughout the trial. We affirm.

FACTS

Prior to trial, defendant moved to dismiss all charges, contending the police officer involved in this case did not have authority to stop or arrest him because the officer was outside his jurisdiction. The trial court denied defendant’s motion to dismiss. However, defendant has not provided this court with the record of any hearing on his motion. Therefore, we must rely on the record of the jury trial in reviewing defendant’s claims.

At the jury trial, Marseilles city police officer Jeremy Gaughan testified he was monitoring the speed of traffic while parked approximately 50 feet north of the Marseilles city limits. Gaughan observed a vehicle at the intersection of 11th Street and Rutland, which is inside the city limits. The vehicle appeared to be traveling at a high rate of speed. Gaughan measured the speed of the vehicle with his radar device at 50 miles per hour in a 35-mile-per-hour speed zone.

When the vehicle passed his location, Gaughan followed and activated his emergency lights. The vehicle proceeded to the driveway of a nearby private residence where it stopped. Gaughan followed the vehicle into the driveway and observed defendant exit the driver’s side.

Defendant stumbled as he walked to the rear of the vehicle. Gaughan noticed defendant smelled of alcohol, his speech was slurred, his eyes were bloodshot and glassy, and he was having difficulty maintaining his balance. Gaughan testified that defendant failed the horizontal gaze nystagmus field sobriety test. When defendant refused to perform any other field sobriety tests, Gaughan informed him that he was under arrest.

Defendant stated he could not be arrested because he was on private property. After defendant continued to refuse to cooperate, Gaughan informed him that he would be sprayed with pepper spray if he did not place his hands behind his back. When defendant continued to assert he could not be arrested, Gaughan sprayed him with pepper spray.

Defendant then turned and began walking toward the residence. Gaughan testified that he attempted to restrain defendant by grabbing his arm. Defendant responded by punching Gaughan on the right side of his face and grabbing Gaughan by the neck. Gaughan struggled with defendant. Eventually, two other police officers arrived and defendant was handcuffed.

Gaughan further testified that defendant kicked him in the face as he was placing defendant in the squad car. Gaughan stated that he had a shoe print and a red mark on his face, and his neck was red from being choked by defendant. Officer James Hollenbeck also testified that he observed defendant kick Gaughan as they were placing defendant in the car.

Defendant was transported to the Marseilles police department, where he agreed to take a breath test. The breath test indicated defendant’s alcohol concentration was 0.194.

Albert Lukasik testified he was defendant’s friend and was nearby when these events occurred. Lukasik observed Gaughan administer a field sobriety test. When Gaughan informed defendant that he was under arrest, defendant stated he had not done anything wrong. Lukasik testified that Gaughan then lunged forward, hit defendant in the chest with his forearm, kicked defendant in the legs and groin, head-butted him and sprayed him with pepper spray. Lukasik testified he fled the area after observing this attack.

Defendant testified Gaughan asked him to perform two field sobriety tests. Defendant stumbled when he stepped on a rock during the second test. When Gaughan told defendant that he was under arrest, defendant stated that the rocky surface had caused him to stumble and he was not speeding. Without any provocation, Gaughan then struck defendant in the chest, kicked him in the legs, kicked him four times in the groin and sprayed him three times in the face with pepper spray. Defendant testified he did not strike, kick, choke or grab Gaughan at any time during this incident. On cross-examination, defendant admitted he had consumed alcohol that night and that the breath test indicated his alcohol concentration was 0.194.

Finally, defendant’s father, brother and sister-in-law testified that they observed the officers place defendant in the squad car but did not see defendant kick Gaughan.

The jury found defendant guilty of aggravated battery and driving while under the influence of alcohol.

DISCUSSION

Defendant contends Gaughan did not have authority to stop or arrest him because Gaughan was outside the City of Marseilles when he clocked defendant’s speed with the radar device and stopped him for speeding. Defendant asserts that the supreme court’s decision in People v. Lahr, 147 Ill. 2d 379, 589 N.E.2d 539 (1992), is controlling in this case.

In Lahr, a police officer was positioned seven-tenths of a mile outside his jurisdiction. The defendant’s vehicle was also outside the jurisdiction when the officer obtained a radar reading which indicated the defendant was speeding. Our supreme court interpreted the citizen’s arrest statute (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1989, ch. 38, par. 107—3) as providing police officers with the same authority as ordinary citizens in making a warrantless arrest outside their jurisdiction. Such an arrest will not be upheld when the officer uses the power of his office to obtain evidence not available to private citizens. The court concluded that the officer’s use of the radar gun was an impermissible assertion of police authority outside his jurisdiction, and the arrest was not a valid citizen’s arrest. Lahr, 147 Ill. 2d 379, 589 N.E.2d 539.

In so finding, the supreme court distinguished People v. O’Connor, 167 Ill. App. 3d 42, 520 N.E.2d 1081 (1988). In O’Connor, a Palos Park police officer conducted radar surveillance of a road within his jurisdiction while he was parked in an unincorporated area outside that city. A speeding violation and subsequent arrest both occurred within Palos Park. The First District Appellate Court held that the use of the radar did not constitute an impermissible assertion of police authority outside the officer’s jurisdiction because the officer was monitoring a roadway within his jurisdiction.

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Bluebook (online)
785 N.E.2d 545, 337 Ill. App. 3d 275, 271 Ill. Dec. 613, 2003 Ill. App. LEXIS 187, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-elliott-illappct-2003.