People v. Johnson

289 N.E.2d 722, 8 Ill. App. 3d 457, 1972 Ill. App. LEXIS 2050
Appellate Court of Illinois·Decided November 16, 1972·No. 71-48·Published·Cited by 11 cases

Opinion

Mr. PRESIDING JUSTICE STOUDER

delivered the opinion of the court:

Defendant, Milton Johnson, was found guilty of rape, burglary and aggravated battery after a bench trial in the Circuit Court of Will County. He has appealed from all judgments and sentences.

At about 9 P.M. on February 15, 1970, Pennelope Williams, age eighteen, together with her companion Lee Chandler drove her Chevrolet to Pilcher Park located in Joliet, Illinois, and parked. A young man pulled his car in front of die complainant’s car, got out of his car and while armed with a shotgun entered the rear seat of complainant’s car, ordered the complainant to get into the back seat with him and ordered Chandler to lie on the floor in the front. Pennelope Williams was then beaten, forced to remove her clothes, raped, otherwise sexually assaulted, physically mistreated and beaten again. Chandler escaped sometime during the period and went for help. When he returned the Chevrolet was gone but a 1963 Buick was discovered nearby.

The complainant described the details of her ordeal indicating that after it was completed her assailant took her to another car but returned her to the Chevrolet. Her assailant then left for a few minutes, returned and drove complainant in her car out of the park. On the way they met a police car at which time the driver of complainant’s car indicated that he was taking her to the hospital which he did. The police officers aiding Chandler were notified of the incident and they returned to Silver Cross Hospital in Joliet. According to Johnson, defendant, he was driving his stepfather’s 1963 Buick in Pilcher Park when he saw a girl later identified as Pennelope Williams standing by her car moaning for help. He stopped his car, picked her up as she started to fall and put her in his car. He went a short distance, the car broke down and he then took complainant back to her car, drove out of the park, met the police officers and continued on to the hospital. Johnson was arrested at the hospital although he was not identified as her assailant by the complainant until some seven days later.

In seeking to reverse the judgment of the circuit court defendant argues the evidence is insufficient to justify the court’s conclusion that he was guilty of the offenses charged, that he was denied a fair trial because the court permitted a dentist to be recalled for further testimony and finally that the sentences are improper.

In reviewing the sufficiency of the evidence to support a conviction in a criminal case, the decision of the trier of fact will be affirmed unless we find a reasonable and well founded doubt as to the defendant’s guilt. People v. Richie, 36 Ill.2d 392, 222 N.E.2d 479, and People v. Cox, 20 Ill.2d 458, 170 N.E.2d 531.

Defendant insists the testimony of the complainant is inconsistent, implausible and unworthy of belief. Also the defendant argues that the physical evidence is “inconclusive” and “equivocal” and fails to create or corroborate an abiding belief in defendant’s guilt.

According to complainant’s testimony she did not at any time while being brutally mistreated visually observe her assailant. (Chandler likewise claimed not to have seen the assailant and did not identify the defendant as the assailant.) She was told to keep her eyes shut and she did so. Her identification of defendant was from his voice. According to the complainant the man who drove her to the hospital was the same man who assaulted her and she based her assertion on her belief that the voices were the same. It is also true that the complainant did not make known her identification or the reasons therefor until some seven days after the event.

As in People v. Szybeko, 24 Ill.2d 335, 181 N.E.2d 176, defendant asserts by way of analogy that the failure of the complainant to promptly indicate that the person who drove her to the hospital was the same person as her assailant makes her testimony on this issue incredible and not worthy of belief. Although the concept of fresh complaint or prompt outcry where rape is claimed is usually invoked to corroborate that an offense has occurred, the defendant urges the same principle ought to be applicable regarding prompt identification of the person alleged to have committed the offense. (People v. Appleby, 104 Ill.App.2d 209, 244 N.E.2d 395.) While we agree that the failure to promptly identify an assailant when the basis of the identification is or should have been known to the complainant may effect the probative value to be given such testimony, such failure may be explainable and in this case evidence was introduced tending to explain the delay.

The physician who treated the complainant in the emergency room of Silver Cross Hospital about one hour after her admission, testified that complainant was semicomatose, had been beaten so severely that her eyes were closed and one side of her face was badly swollen. She was in such great pain that the physician was unable to conduct a complete rectal and vaginal examination although these areas were swollen and distended. He also observed teeth marks on her breasts and burns on her chest and abdomen. The police officer who was at the hospital indicated the complainant was unable to respond to questions. The nurse who helped carry complainant into the emergency room testified complainant was semi-conscious. Under these circumstances the trier of fact could have concluded that complainant’s mental shock and poor physical condition were sufficient to explain her failure to identify Johnson upon being admitted to the hospital. Nor do we believe that complainant’s deliberate action of not looking at her assailant renders her testimony improbable. The fact that during the ordeal she may not have done that which may have aided in the identification of her assailant is not improbable in light of the brutality and force to which she was subjected.

As indicated earlier Johnson was arrested at the hospital and both he and Chandler were considered suspects. The Illinois Crime Lab was immediately summoned and voluminous examinations, inspections and tests were undertaken, described and presented as evidence. Such evidence included testimony regarding blood types, pubic hair comb outs, head hair analysis, scene photographs, identification of a heel print and also testimony linking the tooth marks on complainant’s breasts as coming from defendant’s teeth.

In arguing that the evidence is inconclusive defendant points to certain aspects of the evidence regarding blood types, secretions and hair comparisons. A lab technician testified that defendant’s blood and secretions were type A, complainant’s type O and Chandler’s type AB. No analysis to determine sub groupings was made. In insisting that the testimony regarding blood and secretion types or hair sample comparisons does not corroborate complaint’s testimony defendant refers to certain aspects of the testimony which it is true we believe are not consistent with other testimony. According to the technician, pubic hair comb outs of the defendant and complainant did not produce any hairs of the other person which would have been the expected result.

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

People v. Johnson, 289 N.E.2d 722, 8 Ill. App. 3d 457, 1972 Ill. App. LEXIS 2050 (Ill. Ct. App. 1972).

289 N.E.2d 722 (People v. Johnson) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Related

People v. Gomez
574 N.E.2d 822 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1991)
State v. Armstrong
369 S.E.2d 870 (West Virginia Supreme Court, 1988)
Kennedy v. State
1982 OK CR 11 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1982)
State v. Sager
600 S.W.2d 541 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1980)
State v. Peoples
605 P.2d 135 (Supreme Court of Kansas, 1980)
United States v. Martin
9 M.J. 731 (U.S. Navy-Marine Corps Court of Military Review, 1979)
People v. Thompson
372 N.E.2d 1052 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1978)
People v. Parks
365 N.E.2d 1339 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1977)
People v. Milone
356 N.E.2d 1350 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1976)
People v. Johnson
345 N.E.2d 531 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1976)
People v. Stephens
310 N.E.2d 824 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1974)