People v. Kimball

614 N.E.2d 273, 243 Ill. App. 3d 1096, 185 Ill. Dec. 139, 1993 Ill. App. LEXIS 425
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedMarch 29, 1993
Docket1-87-3040
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 614 N.E.2d 273 (People v. Kimball) 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. Kimball, 614 N.E.2d 273, 243 Ill. App. 3d 1096, 185 Ill. Dec. 139, 1993 Ill. App. LEXIS 425 (Ill. Ct. App. 1993).

Opinion

JUSTICE BUCKLEY

delivered the opinion of the court:

After a jury trial, defendant Salmineo Kimball was convicted of the murder of decedent Anthony Brown and of the attempted murder of Dwayne Brown. Defendant was sentenced to concurrent prison terms of 30 and 6 years, respectively. Defendant appeals both his convictions.

Vemell Robinson testified for the State that on July 30, 1986, he worked at McDonald’s located at 47th Street and Cottage Grove Avenue in Chicago. On July 30, at about 10 p.m., Robinson saw defendant walk around a wooden fence, which separated a vacant lot from the McDonald’s parking lot, and proceed towards the first parking stall. At the same time, decedent was walking towards his car in the parking lot, while carrying his child. Defendant stood directly adjacent to the bumper of decedent’s car with a gun in his hand. Robinson testified that he shouted a warning to decedent about defendant being armed and then took cover himself. Robinson saw a flame come from a gun at the fence and heard shots being fired. He ran inside the McDonald’s to get a security guard and upon returning to the lot saw the decedent being taken from the scene.

Nicole Wilson also testified for the State. On July 30, Wilson was walking through the vacant lot and saw defendant and his codefendant coming towards her, walking fast. Codefendant walked up to the wooden fence, leaned over it and shot four times at decedent. Wilson testified that she also saw a gun in defendant’s hand.

Next, Dwayne Brown testified that at about 10 p.m. on July 30, he and his brother Larry were driving by the McDonald’s when they saw their brother’s (decedent’s) car. Larry slowed down as he approached his brother’s car. While nearing the parking lot, Dwayne saw a hand with a gun reach over the wooden fence and shoot. Dwayne testified that then, defendant aimed a gun directly at his face and began firing while they were proceeding past the lot. Larry and Dwayne eventually picked up decedent and drove him to the hospital.

Finally, Detective Allen Szudarski testified for the State that both Wilson and Dwayne Brown identified defendant’s photograph as the gunman who shot at Dwayne. Additionally, Dwayne and Robinson identified defendant at a lineup as the gunman.

Defendant testified on his own behalf that on July 30 at 10 p.m., he was at his girl friend’s apartment. Defendant stated that he watched television, then went outside and talked with a friend. Further, defendant testified that two days prior to the shootings, he was taken to a hospital for a knee injury, where his leg was wrapped and he was issued crutches. Defendant claims that on July 30, he was using a cane to walk. Defendant denied any involvement in the shooting.

On appeal, defendant first contends that the circuit court erred in refusing his tendered jury instruction and related verdict form for the offense of aggravated assault. Defendant argues that aggravated assault is a lesser-included offense of attempted murder. An included offense is an offense which is established “by proof of the same or less than all of the facts or a less culpable mental state (or both), than that which is required to establish the commission of the offense charged.” (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1985, ch. 38, par. 2 — 9(a).) Generally, in order to be a lesser-included offense, all the elements of the lesser offense must be included within the greater offense. (People v. Smith (1980), 78 Ill. 2d 298, 399 N.E.2d 1289.) A person commits aggravated assault when without lawful authority he engages in conduct which places another in a reasonable apprehension of receiving a battery while using a deadly weapon. (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1985, ch. 38, pars. 12 — 1, 12 — 2.) An instruction on a lesser offense is appropriate “ ‘if the evidence would permit a jury rationally to find [a defendant] guilty of the lesser offense and acquit him of the greater.’ ” (People v. Bryant (1986), 113 Ill. 2d 497, 507, 499 N.E.2d 413, quoting Keeble v. United States (1973), 412 U.S. 205, 208, 36 L. Ed. 2d 844, 847, 93 S. Ct. 1993, 1995.) Moreover, an included offense instruction “ ‘ “is only proper where the charged greater offense requires the jury to find a disputed factual element which is not required for conviction of the lesser-included offense.” ’ ” Bryant, 113 Ill. 2d at 507, 499 N.E.2d at 417-18, quoting People v. Cramer (1981), 85 Ill. 2d 92, 100, quoting Sansone v. United States (1965), 380 U.S. 343, 349-50, 13 L. Ed. 2d 882, 887-88, 85 S. Ct. 1004, 1009.

In Bryant, the supreme court held that the language of the charging instrument described an act constituting criminal damage to property as part of the attempted burglary. Because the indictment described the lesser-included offense of criminal damage to property and the evidence supported a guilty verdict of the lesser crime and an acquittal of the greater, the supreme court held that an instruction on that offense should have been given. Bryant, 113 Ill. 2d at 506, 499 N.E.2d at 415-16.

Defendant also cites People v. Krueger (1988), 176 Ill. App. 3d 625, 531 N.E.2d 396, as authority that an aggravated assault instruction is proper when attempted murder is charged. In Krueger, the appellate court held that the evidence would support a conviction for aggravated assault because although the victim was allegedly visible through the sheer drapes of the living room window, no shots were fired through that window. Furthermore, the indictment charged that the shots were fired at the victim’s house rather than at anyone inside the house. (Krueger, 176 Ill. App. 3d 625, 531 N.E.2d 396.) The court reasoned that the evidence supported a finding that the shots were intended to scare the victim, rather than to kill him. Krueger, 176 Ill. App. 3d 625, 531 N.E.2d 396.

Further, the appellate court recently held that it was error not to instruct the jury on the uncharged offense of aggravated assault in a case where attempted murder was charged. (People v. Ross (1992), 226 Ill. App. 3d 392, 589 N.E.2d 854.) In Ross, while the defendant was “still moving forward,” he turned toward the officer and pointed a pistol at him. The officer testified that he immediately bent down, “his revolver at the ready, stood up, and fired three shots, wounding defendant.” The defendant stumbled and then resumed his flight. (Ross, 226 Ill. App. 3d at 394, 589 N.E.2d at 855.) We note that there was no evidence that the defendant actually fired any shots at the officer. The appellate court reasoned that the above testimony supported the conclusion that the jury could have found the police officer' “feared being struck by a bullet, the requisite element of reasonable apprehension of a battery, to support a conviction for aggravated assault.” (Ross, 226 Ill. App.

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Bluebook (online)
614 N.E.2d 273, 243 Ill. App. 3d 1096, 185 Ill. Dec. 139, 1993 Ill. App. LEXIS 425, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-kimball-illappct-1993.