People v. Holliday

450 N.E.2d 355, 115 Ill. App. 3d 141, 70 Ill. Dec. 882, 1983 Ill. App. LEXIS 1857
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedApril 26, 1983
Docket81-350
StatusPublished
Cited by14 cases

This text of 450 N.E.2d 355 (People v. Holliday) 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. Holliday, 450 N.E.2d 355, 115 Ill. App. 3d 141, 70 Ill. Dec. 882, 1983 Ill. App. LEXIS 1857 (Ill. Ct. App. 1983).

Opinion

JUSTICE WELCH

delivered the opinion of the court:

In separate proceedings in the circuit court of Crawford County, defendant William Walton was convicted of theft of a firearm and theft of property valued in excess of $150, and defendant Kenneth Holliday was convicted of theft of property valued in excess of $150. They have appealed from their convictions, and their appeals have been consolidated in this court. They present one assignment of error common to both convictions, that the trial court erred in denying their motions to suppress evidence seized during a search of their residence. Defendant Holliday argues that he was denied the effective assistance of counsel because his attorney failed to move for his discharge on speedy-trial grounds. Defendant Walton contends that his conviction of theft of a firearm should be reversed, it being based upon the same act which supported his conviction for theft of property valued in excess of $150.

Both defendants challenge the court’s denial of their motions to suppress items seized from their residence on April 6, 1980. A search of that residence was undertaken pursuant to a consent signed by defendant Walton at the Crawford County jail and pursuant to a search warrant issued that day. The defendants insist that the complaint for the search warrant did not state probable cause for the search, that, even if the warrant were properly issued, the search exceeded the scope of the warrant, and that Walton’s consent to search was not voluntarily given. Because we agree with the trial court’s finding that Walton voluntarily consented to the search, we need not consider the arguments pertaining to the search warrant.

At the suppression hearing, Robinson police officer William Millsap and both defendants testified. Of these three witnesses, only Millsap and defendant Walton gave testimony relevant to the issue of the voluntary nature of Walton’s consent. On the evening of April 5, 1980, the Robinson police department received a complaint that Walton had been seen brandishing a weapon at a party. Officer Millsap recalled that when he attempted to locate Walton, he went to the residence of Holliday and Walton, where he discovered items which he believed had been stolen in a recent burglary. Later that evening, Walton was arrested and charged with reckless conduct, based on the incident at the party, and was incarcerated in the Crawford County jail.

The following morning, Millsap read Walton Miranda warnings, which, he remembered, Walton seemed to understand. He then requested Walton to sign a form in which he would consent to the search of his residence, informing him that he had the right to withhold his consent. Walton did not deny that he had been so advised, but asserted that he signed the consent because he had been told that “the judge was on the way down” to the jail and “they were getting a warrant out, anyway.” Millsap stated that he did not tell Walton before the consent was signed that a judge was on his way to the jail, because no judge had been contacted at that time. However, Millsap did admit that he told Walton that he and other law enforcement officials were attempting to locate a judge to sign a warrant. A judge of the Second Judicial Circuit did arrive at the jail approximately 30 to 45 minutes after Walton signed the consent form, and that judge, acting on a complaint by Millsap, issued a warrant to search the Holliday and Walton residence.

In order to support a search undertaken pursuant to consent, the State must prove by a preponderance of the evidence that that consent was voluntarily given. (People v. Posey (1981), 99 Ill. App. 3d 943, 426 N.E.2d 209, cert. denied (1982), 456 U.S. 993, 73 L. Ed. 2d 1289, 102 S. Ct. 2276.) The voluntary character of the consent presents a question of fact to be resolved from consideration of all the circumstances under which the consent was given. (Schneckloth v. Bustamonte (1983), 412 U.S. 218, 36 L. Ed. 2d 854, 93 S. Ct. 2041; People v. Meddows (1981), 100 Ill. App. 3d 576, 427 N.E.2d 219, cert. denied (1982), 459 U.S. 855, 74 L. Ed. 2d 107, 103 S. Ct. 123.) A trial court’s determination on the voluntariness of a consent to search will be accepted on review unless plainly unreasonable. People v. Wahlen (1982), 111 Ill. App. 3d 194, 443 N.E.2d 728; People v. Dortch (1978), 64 Ill. App. 3d 894, 381 N.E.2d 1193.

As the People correctly argue, the fact that a consenting party is in custody does not, by itself, establish that the consent was coerced. (United States v. Watson (1976), 423 U.S. 411, 46 L. Ed. 2d 598, 96 S. Ct. 820; People v. Zynda (1977), 53 Ill. App. 3d 794, 368 N.E.2d 1079; People v. Pagliara (1977), 47 Ill. App. 3d 708, 365 N.E.2d 72, cert. denied (1978), 434 U.S. 1069, 55 L. Ed. 2d 772, 98 S. Ct. 1250.) In the case at bar, Walton was given Miranda warnings and was specifically informed that he need not consent to the search. While failure to give the latter admonishment does not render a consent involuntary (Schneckloth v. Bustamonte; People v. Billings (1977), 52 Ill. App. 3d 414, 367 N.E.2d 337), the fact that a consenting party has been so advised is further evidence that the consent was not coerced. People v. Nunn (1973), 55 Ill. 2d 344, 304 N.E.2d 81, cert. denied (1974), 416 U.S. 904, 40 L. Ed. 2d 108, 94 S. Ct. 1608; People v. Devine (1981), 98 Ill. App. 3d 914, 424 N.E.2d 823, cert. denied (1982), 458 U.S. 1109, 73 L. Ed. 1d 1371, 102 S. Ct. 3490.

Both defendants do not disagree with these principles, but argue that the evidence introduced at the suppression hearing shows only that Walton’s signing of the consent form constituted mere acquiescence, submission or resignation to asserted police authority, and was thus involuntary. (Bumper v. North Carolina (1968), 391 U.S. 543, 20 L. Ed. 2d 797, 88 S. Ct. 1788; People v. Johnson (1981), 99 Ill. App. 3d 863, 425 N.E.2d 1215; People v. Kelly (1979), 76 Ill. App. 3d 80, 394 N.E.2d 739.) In Bumper v. North Carolina, Justice Stewart commented, “When a law enforcement officer claims authority to search a home under a warrant, he announces in effect that the occupant has no right to resist the search. The situation is instinct with coercion — albeit colorably lawful coercion.” (391 U.S. 543, 550, 20 L. Ed. 2d 797, 803, 88 S. Ct. 1788, 1792.) Holliday and Walton contend that a similar sort of coercion was present when Walton consented to the search of the residence in this case.

In People v. Magby (1967), 37 Ill. 2d 197, 226 N.E.2d 33, and People v.

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

Related

People v. Kratovil
Appellate Court of Illinois, 2004
People v. Turnipseed
653 N.E.2d 1258 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1995)
People v. Bailey
652 N.E.2d 1084 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1995)
People v. Phillips
636 N.E.2d 1118 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1994)
People v. Turley
601 N.E.2d 305 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1992)
People v. Flagg
577 N.E.2d 815 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1991)
People v. Casazza
560 N.E.2d 386 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1990)
People v. Price
552 N.E.2d 1200 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1990)
People v. Frame
519 N.E.2d 482 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1988)
People v. Branham
484 N.E.2d 1226 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1985)
People v. Smith
464 N.E.2d 1206 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1984)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
450 N.E.2d 355, 115 Ill. App. 3d 141, 70 Ill. Dec. 882, 1983 Ill. App. LEXIS 1857, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-holliday-illappct-1983.