People v. Gibson

934 N.E.2d 611, 403 Ill. App. 3d 942, 343 Ill. Dec. 287, 2010 Ill. App. LEXIS 880
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedAugust 19, 2010
Docket2-08-0738
StatusPublished
Cited by18 cases

This text of 934 N.E.2d 611 (People v. Gibson) 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. Gibson, 934 N.E.2d 611, 403 Ill. App. 3d 942, 343 Ill. Dec. 287, 2010 Ill. App. LEXIS 880 (Ill. Ct. App. 2010).

Opinion

JUSTICE McLAREN

delivered the opinion of the court:

After a jury trial, defendant, James A. Gibson, was convicted of armed robbery (720 ILCS 5/18 — 2(a)(2) (West 2006)), aggravated kidnapping (720 ILCS 5/10 — 2(a)(6) (West 2006)), and unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon (720 ILCS 5/24 — 1.1(a) (West 2006)). The trial court sentenced defendant to concurrent prison terms of 12 years, 27 years, and 12 years, for each offense, respectively. Defendant appeals his convictions and seeks modification of his sentence for aggravated kidnapping and correction of the mittimus to show an additional day of credit for time served before sentencing. We affirm as modified in part, reverse in part, and remand for resentencing.

I. ISSUES

Initially, the State argues that we have no jurisdiction to hear this appeal. Defendant argues that we have jurisdiction, and he argues on the merits that: (1) “[w]here the State failed to establish that either of his two codefendants was a convicted felon, the State failed to prove the defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon under an accountability theory”; (2) “[w]here the defendant’s testimony that he participated in the crimes to avert harm to his family constituted, at the very least, ‘some evidence’ to support his affirmative defense, the trial court erred in refusing to instruct the jury on the defense of necessity”; (3) “[t]he defendant’s sentence for aggravated kidnapping violated the proportionate penalties clause of the Illinois Constitution because the sentencing range for aggravated kidnapping is greater than the sentencing range of an offense with identical elements, namely armed violence predicated on kidnapping”; and (4) “[t]he defendant is entitled to an additional day of credit for the time he served in custody before sentencing.”

II. FACTS

At trial, Said Saley testified that on July 6, 2006, he was a deliveryman for Spirit Delivery in Melrose Park, Illinois. That day he and his helper, Robert Salgado, drove a white wide-box truck loaded with televisions to an address on Montrose Avenue in Wood Dale, Illinois. When Saley walked back to the truck after their first delivery, “a big guy,” whom Saley identified in court as codefendant Melvin Wilson, put his arm around Saley’s neck and put a gun to Saley’s back. A “short guy,” whom Saley identified as codefendant Caesar Moore, threatened Salgado. Wilson told Saley to open the back of the truck and ordered Saley to get inside. Saley complied and Wilson got in the back of the truck with him. Saley heard Moore try to start the truck but he could not do it. Saley was ordered to drive the truck while Wilson and Moore sat next to him. Both Wilson and Moore had guns. Saley saw defendant outside a van parked next to the truck. Salgado was taken to the van. The van, driven by defendant, followed the truck.

Saley also testified that the truck was pulled over by police at Butterfield Road and Route 83. The van passed the truck. The police told Saley to drive to a weigh station. Wilson and Moore ordered Saley not to follow the police to the weigh station but, instead, to keep driving. Saley drove to a gas station. Wilson took Saley’s wallet, money, and phone. Moore threw Saley’s phone on the street. Wilson called defendant and gave him directions. Saley eventually saw the van and followed it. Salgado was no longer inside the van. When the van missed a ramp on the expressway, Wilson screamed at defendant on the phone. Saley caught up with the van again. Moore and Wilson let Saley out of the truck at Addison and the Kennedy Expressway; Wilson hit Saley on the head with his gun.

Defendant testified that he was 38 years old, had a prior felony conviction of armed robbery and made his living as a contractor and had a moving business. The day before the alleged offenses, Wilson asked defendant for help with a moving job and defendant agreed; Wilson did not say anything about a robbery. The next day, Wilson and Moore, whom defendant did not know, picked up defendant at defendant’s home in a van. Defendant had his cell phone with him. Wilson asked defendant to drive. Defendant did not know where he was driving, but he followed Moore’s directions to a warehouse and parked in a lot across the street. Moore got out of the van “and for two hours was back and forth until the individual arrived that he was supposed to meet.” Moore came to the van and told him that he should follow a truck driven by a Palestinian man and that a Mexican laborer would be helping.

Defendant testified that, about 20 minutes after they left the warehouse, Wilson told defendant “this is not a moving job. This is an armed robbery and I didn’t tell you because I knew if I told you, you wouldn’t have come.” Defendant continued to follow the truck for another 20 to 30 minutes. They reached a cul-de-sac in a residential area and parked. Defendant did not ask to stop the van during the drive, because Wilson had pulled out a white plastic bag with a gun inside. During the drive, defendant was worried and did what Wilson and Moore told him to do to protect himself and his family, particularly since Wilson knew where defendant lived. On cross-examination, defendant testified that the truck turned at some point while he was following it, and he could have turned in the opposite direction but he did not. Defendant also testified that he did not use his cell phone to call 911 or his wife and did not let Salgado use his cell phone to call the police.

Defendant testified that he parked next to the truck and that Wilson took the keys from the van. Wilson and Moore got out of the van. Defendant was alone in the van. Wilson and Moore had guns. Defendant did not have a gun. Defendant was nervous and he smoked marijuana. He thought about running away, but he was worried that he would get shot so he stayed in the van. Defendant testified on cross-examination that, while he was alone in the van, he could have opened the van door and run away or called 911, the police, or his wife.

Defendant also testified that he saw Wilson take Saley to the back of the truck. Moore tried to do the same thing with Salgado, but Salgado refused to get into the truck so Moore put Salgado in the van defendant was driving. Moore went back to the truck but he could not start it, so Saley was brought to the truck to drive it. Moore came back to the van and told defendant to follow them and said, “don’t make us come looking for you.” Moore had a gun in his hand. Defendant felt threatened and feared for his family. Wilson then gave defendant the keys to the van and Wilson got into the truck.

Defendant testified that he followed the truck onto Route 83. A state trooper pulled over the truck but not the van. Defendant continued to drive. He tried to calm Salgado down. He asked Salgado where he wanted to get off and dropped him off near an accident scene. Defendant was afraid so he headed back to his home in Chicago. On his way home, Wilson called defendant and told him that Wilson and Moore got away from the trooper. Wilson told defendant to wait for them at Canal Street and said, “don’t make me come ...

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
934 N.E.2d 611, 403 Ill. App. 3d 942, 343 Ill. Dec. 287, 2010 Ill. App. LEXIS 880, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-gibson-illappct-2010.