People v. Esposito

521 N.E.2d 873, 121 Ill. 2d 491, 118 Ill. Dec. 396, 1988 Ill. LEXIS 48
CourtIllinois Supreme Court
DecidedMarch 23, 1988
Docket63868
StatusPublished
Cited by87 cases

This text of 521 N.E.2d 873 (People v. Esposito) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Illinois Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Esposito, 521 N.E.2d 873, 121 Ill. 2d 491, 118 Ill. Dec. 396, 1988 Ill. LEXIS 48 (Ill. 1988).

Opinion

JUSTICE "WARD

delivered the opinion of the court.

The State brings this direct appeal under Rule 302(a) from a judgment of the circuit court of Kane County which held unconstitutional sections 11 — 501.1 and 6— 206.1 of the Illinois Vehicle Code (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1985, ch. 95V2, pars. 11 — 501.1, 6 — 206.1), the provisions which authorize the summary suspension of driving privileges and the issuance of judicial driving permits.

The defendant, Cheryl Esposito, was stopped on March 9, 1986, after a police officer observed her automobile twice cross the center line of the road. Observing that her eyes were bloodshot and detecting a strong odor of alcohol on her breath, the officer requested the defendant to submit to a breathalizer test. She complied, and the test revealed a blood-alcohol concentration (BAG) of 0.16. She was then placed under arrest and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1985, ch. 95V2, par. 11 — 501(2)), and with driving with a blood-alcohol concentration in excess of 0.10 (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1985, ch. 95V2, par. 11 — 501(1)). The defendant was subsequently notified that the Secretary of State (hereafter, Secretary) had summarily suspended her driving privileges under section 11 — 501.1 of the Vehicle Code (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1985, ch. 95V2, par. 11 — 501.1). Following notification to her of the summary suspension, the defendant petitioned the circuit court of Kane County for a judicial driving permit (JDP) pursuant to section 6 — 206.1 of the Vehicle Code (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1985, ch. 95V2, par. 6 — 206.1), and a JDP for work-related driving was issued. She also filed a petition for a hearing to rescind the summary suspension, pursuant to section 2 — 118.1(b) of the Vehicle Code (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1985, 95V2, par. 2 — 118.1(b)). Along with this petition she filed a motion to dismiss “the cause” pending against her, contending, inter alia, that the statutory provisions which authorize the summary suspension of driving privileges (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1985, ch. 951/2, par. 11 — 501.1) and the issuance of judicial driving permits (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1985, ch. 951/2, par. 6 — 206.1) violate the United States and Illinois Constitutions.

At the hearing on her motion, the circuit court declared sections 11 — 501.1 and 6 — 206.1 invalid under the fourteenth amendment of the United States Constitution and article I, section 2, of the Illinois Constitution. The court also held section 6 — 206.1 invalid under the separation of powers clause of the Constitution of Illinois. The court later stayed the effect of its order pending the outcome of an appeal. The Secretary then appealed directly to this court under Supreme Court Rule 302(a) (107 Ill. 2d R. 302(a)).

This appeal presents these questions for review: (1) whether the summary suspension procedure established in section 11 — 501.1 of the Illinois Vehicle Code (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1985, ch. 95V2, par. 11 — 501.1) violates the equal protection clauses of the Illinois and United States Constitutions, or deprives Illinois drivers of due process of law; and (2) whether section 6 — 206.1 of the Vehicle Code (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1985, ch. 95V2, par. 6 — 206.1), which authorizes courts to issue judicial driving permits, violates the separation of powers doctrine of the Illinois Constitution or the equal protection guarantee of the Illinois and United States Constitutions.

I

We first address the defendant’s challenge to section 11 — 501.1 of the Vehicle Code. Like all legislative enactments, this statutory provision carries a strong presumption of constitutionality (Bernier v. Burris (1986), 113 Ill. 2d 219, 227; People v. Joseph (1986), 113 Ill. 2d 36, 41), and all doubts must be resolved in favor of its validity (Harris v. Manor Healthcare Corp. (1986), 111 Ill. 2d 350, 363). Accordingly, the burden rests on the defendant, as the challenging party, to rebut this presumption and to introduce evidence which demonstrates that the statute is unconstitutional. (People v. Bales (1985), 108 Ill. 2d 182, 188.) Describing the summary suspension process will aid understanding of our analysis of the defendant’s challenges to section 11 — 501.1.

Section 11 — 501 of the Vehicle Code prohibits persons from driving or being in physical control of a vehicle anywhere in the State while under the influence of alcohol, other drug or combination thereof. The statute specifies four categories of persons prohibited from driving: (1) persons with an alcohol concentration of 0.10 or more in their blood or breath; (2) persons under the influence of alcohol; (3) persons under the influence of drugs; (4) and persons under the combined influence of alcohol and drugs. Subsections 11 — 501(b) through (e) state the criminal penalties imposed on those convicted of violating the statute.

Section 11 — 501.1, the statute challenged here, implements the so-called “implied consent” concept and establishes the civil consequences of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. That section provides:

“Any person who drives or is in actual physical control of a motor vehicle upon the public highways of this State shall be deemed to have given consent *** to a chemical test or tests of blood, breath, or urine for the purpose of determining the alcohol, other drug, or combination thereof content of such person’s blood if arrested, as evidenced by the issuance of a Uniform Traffic Ticket, for any offense as defined in Section 11 — 501 or a similar provision of a local ordinance. The test or tests shall be administered at the direction of the arresting officer. The law enforcement agency employing said officer shall designate which of the aforesaid tests shall be administered.” (Emphasis added.) Ill. Rev. Stat. 1985, ch. 951/2, par. 11 — 501.1(a).

In addition to establishing the implied-consent concept, section 11 — 501.1 authorizes the Secretary to summarily suspend the driving privileges of two classes of offenders: (1) drivers who have been arrested and refuse to submit to a chemical test, and (2) drivers who have been arrested and submit to a chemical test which indicates an alcohol concentration of 0.10 or more in their blood, urine or breath. (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1985, ch. 951/2, pars. 11 — 501.1(d), (e).) The statute requires the law enforcement officer requesting a test to warn the motorist that refusal to submit to a test and that submission to a test which reveals an alcohol concentration of 0.10 or more will result in a suspension of driving privileges for the prescribed statutory period. (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1985, ch. 951/2, par. 11 — 501.1(c).) If a person refuses to take a test, the arresting officer must certify this refusal in a sworn report which is sent to the court of venue and the Secretary. The Secretary then enters a statutory summary suspension for a six-month period. (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1985, ch. 951/2, par. 6 — 208.1.) If a driver submits to a test which discloses an alcohol concentration of 0.10 or more (either immediately or through subsequent analysis of blood or urine collected at the time of the arrest), the officer similarly submits a sworn report and the Secretary imposes a summary suspension of driving privileges for a three month period. (See Ill. Rev. Stat. 1985, ch. 951/2, pars.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

People v. Lee
2023 IL App (4th) 220779 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 2023)
People v. Swanson
2021 IL App (3d) 190196 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 2021)
People v. Guillermo
2016 IL App (1st) 151799 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 2016)
People v. Boeckmann
932 N.E.2d 998 (Illinois Supreme Court, 2010)
People v. Ciechanowski
Appellate Court of Illinois, 2008
People v. Ullrich
767 N.E.2d 411 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 2002)
People v. Wanke
708 N.E.2d 833 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1999)
People v. Fisher
705 N.E.2d 67 (Illinois Supreme Court, 1998)
In Re Petition to Adopt O.J.M.
687 N.E.2d 113 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1997)
People v. Focia
Appellate Court of Illinois, 1997
People v. Lavariega
676 N.E.2d 643 (Illinois Supreme Court, 1997)
Disabato v. Board of Trustees of the State Employees' Retirement System
674 N.E.2d 852 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1996)
People v. Fasbinder
663 N.E.2d 1052 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1996)
People v. Dvorak
658 N.E.2d 869 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1995)
People v. Vernon
657 N.E.2d 1117 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1995)
People v. Steder
642 N.E.2d 1360 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1994)
Jacobson v. Department of Public Aid
269 Ill. App. 3d 359 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1994)
Lee v. Pucinski
642 N.E.2d 769 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1994)
People v. Holmes
644 N.E.2d 1 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1994)
Kromeich v. City of Chicago
630 N.E.2d 913 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1994)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
521 N.E.2d 873, 121 Ill. 2d 491, 118 Ill. Dec. 396, 1988 Ill. LEXIS 48, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-esposito-ill-1988.