People v. Gorka

870 N.E.2d 867, 374 Ill. App. 3d 85, 312 Ill. Dec. 423, 2007 Ill. App. LEXIS 633
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedJune 12, 2007
Docket1-05-2602 Rel
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 870 N.E.2d 867 (People v. Gorka) 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. Gorka, 870 N.E.2d 867, 374 Ill. App. 3d 85, 312 Ill. Dec. 423, 2007 Ill. App. LEXIS 633 (Ill. Ct. App. 2007).

Opinion

JUSTICE SOUTH

delivered the opinion of the court:

Defendant Piotr Gorka appeals his convictions for aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer which caused bodily injury to a Chicago police officer and property damage in excess of $300. He was convicted following a jury trial and sentenced to concurrent prison terms of 18 months.

The record reveals that on September 25, 1999, Chicago police officers who were driving an unmarked patrol vehicle attempted to curb defendant’s vehicle in the vicinity of 5122 South Archer Avenue after receiving a complaint from two individuals that a person in a dark-colored vehicle pointed a gun at them. The officers gave chase and turned on their siren and flashing headlights, but defendant, who was driving a black car, failed to stop and continued driving at a speed which exceeded the posted speed limit. Subsequently, a marked squad car, which was being driven by uniformed officers, joined in the pursuit with its siren and oscillating Mars lights activated. The chase covered a 40-block mix of main and residential streets and alleys. As the chase approached 51st Street and Kedzie Avenue, a second marked squad car joined in the pursuit, also with its siren and Mars lights activated, but defendant did not stop. At the intersection of 47th Place and Kedzie Avenue, defendant slammed on the brakes in order to make a turn, and one of the marked squad cars hit his vehicle, subsequently hitting a tree and injuring the officer who was inside that squad car. The damage to the squad car was so extensive that it was rendered inoperable and had to be towed from the scene.

Meanwhile, defendant continued driving on 47th Place as the other marked squad car followed. Eventually, defendant stopped at 47th Place and Christiana Avenue, where he and his passenger were placed under arrest. No guns were recovered from him, his passenger, or his vehicle.

At trial, defendant, who is a Polish national and resident alien, testified that he did not stop because he thought a car was following him, and when the marked squad car began following him, he feared those were the same police officers who had mistreated him during a prior altercation in 1998. Defendant admitted that he attempted to elude the police officers but denied his vehicle ever came into contact with a police car, and he never saw a police car involved in an accident.

Initially, defendant entered into a negotiated plea of guilty to four counts of aggravated fleeing and eluding a police officer in exchange for a one-year sentence with a recommendation of boot camp. The trial court entered an order to that effect on June 12, 2000. However, once he was incarcerated, defendant learned that boot camp was not an option as promised and recommended due to his immigrant status and the changes in the immigration law as of 1996. He subsequently appealed that matter to this court in case No. 1 — 00—3707, contending that he was not properly admonished pursuant to Supreme Court Rule 605(b) (188 Ill. 2d R. 605(b)). On February 21, 2003, we granted defendant’s motion for a summary remand for full and proper admonishments under Rule 605(b) and to give him the opportunity to file any appropriate motions within 30 days thereafter. 1 We note that the record does not contain a transcript of the proceedings from the admonishments hearing or a common law record of any motions which were filed at that time. However, inasmuch as the matter subsequently proceeded to a jury trial, we may reasonably assume that defendant successfully moved to withdraw his plea of guilty.

Defendant was charged with four counts of aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer: (1) while traveling at a speed of at least 21 miles per hour over the legal speed limit; (2) causing bodily harm to Joseph Engelhardt; (3) causing bodily harm to Mark Trost; and (4) causing property damage in excess of $300. Prior to trial, defendant filed a motion to dismiss the complaint on the grounds of double jeopardy violations, which was denied by the trial court. Subsequent to his jury trial, defendant was acquitted of counts I and III and found guilty of counts II and IV Defendant’s motion for a new trial was denied by the trial court, and he was subsequently sentenced to concurrent prison terms of 18 months, with credit given for 230 days which had been served previously. Defendant then filed a motion for judgment notwithstanding the verdict and dismissal of the complaint with prejudice, which the trial court also denied.

On appeal, defendant has raised the following issues for our review: whether (1) the trial court erred in ordering a new trial; (2) the judgments were legally inconsistent; and (3) the trial court exceeded its jurisdiction and authority and abused its discretion in imposing an 18-month “resentence” on counts II and IV

First, defendant contends that the trial court erred in ordering a new trial where (a) in reversing his convictions, this court never ordered a new trial, and (b) he had been incarcerated for the full term, and more, of the original sentence, thereby unconstitutionally subjecting him to double jeopardy and violating the principles of fundamental fairness and justice.

The law in Illinois is well settled that following the entry of a judgment on a negotiated guilty plea, even if a defendant only wants to challenge his sentence, he must move to withdraw the guilty plea and vacate the judgment so that, in the event the motion is granted, the parties are returned to the status quo. People v. Evans, 174 Ill. 2d 320, 332 (1996). A motion to reconsider a sentence alone is insufficient. People v. Waller, 317 Ill. App. 3d 390, 391 (2000).

Here, according to the record, defendant originally pled guilty in exchange for a one-year sentence with court-recommended boot camp, which the court granted. However, since his status as a resident alien prevented him from receiving boot camp, he was incarcerated instead. Defendant then filed an appeal, presumably contesting his sentence, 2 at which time he requested a summary remand because he had not been properly admonished under Rule 605(b) (188 Ill. 2d R. 605(b)). This court agreed and remanded the cause for proper admonishments and the opportunity for defendant to file an appropriate postjudgment motion. That remedy is appropriate under these types of circumstances. See People v. Crowder, 351 Ill. App. 3d 1096, 1098 (2004); People v. Taylor, 345 Ill. App. 3d 1064, 1083 (2004). At that juncture, once defendant was properly admonished, even if he only sought to challenge his sentence, he was still required to file a motion to vacate the judgment and withdraw his guilty plea since that plea was made in exchange for a specific sentence, irrespective of whether or not he was eligible for boot camp. See People v. Clark, 183 Ill. 2d 261, 268 (1998).

We further note that defendant has failed to present the report of the proceedings from the remanded admonishments hearing or the record of any. motions made during that hearing, which makes it difficult, if not impossible, for us to properly evaluate his claim that the trial court erred in ordering a new trial. “It is incumbent upon the party appealing a judgment to bring up as much of the trial court record as is necessary to completely dispose of the issues presented on appeal.” Glover v.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
870 N.E.2d 867, 374 Ill. App. 3d 85, 312 Ill. Dec. 423, 2007 Ill. App. LEXIS 633, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-gorka-illappct-2007.