People v. Goodwin

2017 IL App (5th) 140432
Appellate Court of Illinois·Decided August 17, 2017·No. 5-14-0432·Unpublished·Cited by 2 cases

Opinion

NOTICE

2017 IL App (5th) 140432

Decision filed 08/17/17. The text of this decision may be NO. 5-14-0432 changed or corrected prior to the filing of a Petition for Rehearing or the disposition of IN THE the same.

APPELLATE COURT OF ILLINOIS

FIFTH DISTRICT

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, ) Appeal from the ) Circuit Court of

Plaintiff-Appellee, ) Shelby County.

)

v. ) No. 14-CF-48 )

BONITA D. GOODWIN, ) Honorable ) Kimberly G. Koester, Defendant-Appellant. ) Judge, presiding.

PRESIDING JUSTICE MOORE delivered the judgment of the court, with opinion.

Justices Chapman and Overstreet concurred in the judgment and opinion.

OPINION

¶1 The defendant, Bonita D. Goodwin, appeals her conviction, following a trial by jury in the circuit court of Shelby County, for the offense of threatening a public official. For the following reasons, we reverse.

¶2 FACTS

¶3 The facts necessary to our disposition of this appeal follow. On May 7, 2014, the defendant was charged, by information, with one Class 3 felony count of threatening a public official because, on that same date, she had allegedly “knowingly and willfully conveyed to Corrections Officer Tonya Atteberry, of the Shelby County Sheriff’s Department, Illinois, a

public official, a communication threatening ‘...I’m thinking about killing you. I could go out to your house with a gun and you couldn’t do anything about it.’ ” The information further alleged that the threat placed Atteberry “in reasonable apprehension of immediate or future bodily harm.” The defendant was also charged, in a separate case that was tried with this case but not appealed herewith, with one Class A misdemeanor count of resisting a peace officer (of which she was convicted) and one Class B misdemeanor count of unlawful possession of cannabis (of which she was acquitted).

¶4 The defendant subsequently invoked her speedy trial rights, and the charges culminated in a jury trial that began on June 16, 2014. We will discuss only the testimony relevant to the issue dispositive of this appeal. Brian Litteral testified that he was a deputy sheriff with the Shelby County sheriff’s office. He testified that at approximately 2 a.m. on May 7, 2014, he pulled over a Dodge pickup truck because the truck had no rear registration light. The defendant was a passenger in the truck. Deputy Litteral testified that the defendant was “fidgeting” and “kind of nervous” when he began asking questions of her and the driver. When he asked the driver for permission to search the truck, the defendant told the driver not to grant permission. Because the defendant was trying to distract the driver, Deputy Litteral asked the driver to exit the truck and speak to him outside, which she did. He testified that he informed the driver that she could either grant permission to search the truck, or deny permission, and that the driver granted permission. He testified that another deputy sheriff, Deputy Washburn, asked the defendant to exit the vehicle, which she did, and Deputy Litteral then began to search the vehicle. Subsequently, the defendant became agitated, and Deputy Litteral suspended his search to deal with her. Deputy Washburn took over the search and ultimately found a substance that he

believed was marijuana in the truck, and Deputy Litteral informed the defendant that she was going to be arrested for possession of marijuana.

¶5 Deputy Litteral testified that when he attempted to handcuff the defendant, she pulled her arm away in a jerking motion. After he and another deputy, Deputy Lustig, secured the defendant, she continued to act in an agitated manner, threatening to spit on Deputy Litteral. When she was placed in Deputy Litteral’s squad car, the defendant was “threatening” and “yelling.” When they arrived at the jail, the defendant was still “resisting” and began “making a major commotion within the jail.” Deputy Litteral testified that Corrections Officer Atteberry attempted “multiple times” to book the defendant into the jail but that the process “had to be postponed” because of the defendant’s continuing belligerent behavior. He testified that at approximately 6 a.m., he, Deputy Washburn, and “C.O. Atteberry” were present while C.O. Atteberry asked the defendant routine booking questions. When C.O. Atteberry asked the defendant if the defendant was “considering hurting herself or killing herself,” the defendant stated, “ ‘No. I’m thinking about killing you,’ ” then added, “ ‘I can show up at your house with a gun and you can’t do anything about it.’ ” Deputy Litteral testified that C.O. Atteberry then turned and asked him “if that would qualify for threatening a public official,” and he responded that he believed it would. The booking process was again halted, and the defendant was placed back in a holding cell.

¶6 Jacob Washburn testified that he was 23 years old and had been employed as a deputy with the Shelby County sheriff’s office for approximately two years. He testified that when he arrived at the scene of Deputy Litteral’s traffic stop of the truck in which the defendant was a passenger, he approached the truck from the rear on the passenger side and could hear the defendant becoming “angry” with the driver after the driver said it was okay for the deputies to

search the truck. He testified that while he subsequently searched the truck, he “heard somewhat of a ruckus,” looked up, and saw Deputy Litteral holding the defendant and asked Deputy Litteral if everything was okay. Deputy Litteral told him it was, and Deputy Washburn continued with his search, ultimately discovering “suspected cannabis.” He testified that the defendant was “screaming” at the deputies and “becoming belligerent.” Deputy Washburn observed the defendant trying to pull away from Deputy Litteral before Deputy Litteral and Deputy Lustig secured her.

¶7 Deputy Washburn testified that at approximately 6 a.m., he was present with Deputy Litteral when Atteberry attempted to process the defendant into the jail. He testified that “Ms. Atteberry was asking her if she felt like hurting herself or killing herself,” to which the defendant responded, “ ‘No, but I am thinking about killing you. And I could show up to your house with a gun and there’s nothing you could do about it.’ ” He testified that “Ms. Atteberry asked us if she [sic] felt like that was a threat to us, and I stated, ‘Yeah,’ that I felt like it was a threat.” The booking process was discontinued, and the defendant was returned to her holding cell.

¶8 Dustin Lustig testified that he was a deputy with the Shelby County sheriff’s office. He testified that when he arrived at the scene of Deputy Litteral’s traffic stop of the truck in which the defendant was a passenger, he stood behind the truck, with the driver, while the truck was searched. He testified that Deputy Washburn “located drug paraphernalia” in the truck. He testified that he tried to calm the defendant, who was “very upset.” When the defendant attempted to pull away from Deputy Litteral, who was preparing to arrest her, Deputy Lustig helped Deputy Litteral secure the defendant, who “continued to fight.” After the defendant was taken away, he stayed behind to “clear the scene” of the traffic stop, then proceeded to the jail.

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People v. Goodwin, 2017 IL App (5th) 140432 (Ill. Ct. App. 2017).

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