People v. Kinzie

334 N.E.2d 872, 31 Ill. App. 3d 832, 1975 Ill. App. LEXIS 2900
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedAugust 18, 1975
Docket60461
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 334 N.E.2d 872 (People v. Kinzie) 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. Kinzie, 334 N.E.2d 872, 31 Ill. App. 3d 832, 1975 Ill. App. LEXIS 2900 (Ill. Ct. App. 1975).

Opinion

Mr. JUSTICE EGAN

delivered the opinion of the court:

The defendants, Bennie Kinzie and Jerry Winn, were convicted of robbery after a bench trial and sentenced to the Illinois Department of Corrections for two to eight years. •

Shortly before midnight on June 12, 1973, Robert Jackson left Sportsman’s Park Race .Track in Cicero where he was employed as a cashier: He was carrying approximately $200 in cash as he approached his car in the parking lot which was well lighted. His car was a 1973 green Chevrolet, license plate number BP 8227. As he attempted to put his key in the door lock, two. men approached him from the front, and one of them said, “This is a stick-up.” The light in the parking lot reflected on their faces. Jackson later identified both defendants as the two-men. The defendant, Winn, was holding a “shiny object” in his hand.- Suddenly, Winn put his arm around Jackson’s neck and'threw him to the ground;- then Winn “rammed Iris knee” in Jackson’s ribs more than once and'proceeded to choke, him. Jackson was almost rendered unconscious, and both men Went through his pockets. They took $200 in cash, his wrist watch and car .keys; they then drove off in Jackson’s car. leaving him lying on-the ground. The entire robbery, according to Jackson’s estimate, took approximately five to ten minutes. •

: :■ Minutes later, Officers Swanson and Vrtis óf the Chicago Police Department were in a squad car at 4450 West 26th Street, approximately one mile from'Sportsman’s Park Race Track, when- they observed- a-1973 Chevrolet approaching from the rear without headlights. The Chevrolet passed the squad car,, and Officer Vrtis- observed- the two occupants. The officers followed the Chevrolet- and signaled the driver to' puli ' over;

After traveling .several more blocks, the Chevrolet slowed down and its two occupants alighted and fled in opposite directions. Swanson pursued the passenger. óf the. Chevrolet on foot coming-within six to eight feet of Him before losmghim.in an alley. Swánson later identified the defendant Winn ás the passenger whom he had chased.-Swanson put out a radio call that he needed assistance and was in pursuit of- a male Negro in the vicinity of 25th Street.

'..'Officer. Richard Oswald and- his partner were -in a police car at'25th and Kostner when they heard Swanson’s radio message. About a minute later, Oswald saw thé defendant Winn runniiig through a gangway southbound, approximately one-half block- from the location-of the radio call for assistance. Oswald placed Winn under arrest and took him to Swanson’s squad car.

In the meantime, Officer Vrtis arrested the driver of the Chevrolet after a chase of “a matter of seconds.” The man he apprehended was the defendant Kinzie. The license number .of the 1973 Chevrolet that they had followed was BP 8227. Kinzie was searched and Jackson’s wrist watch was found in his pocket. No weapons nor any money were recovered from either defendant.

Approximately 12 hours later, Jackson identified both defendants in a line-up consisting of three black males at the Cicero police station.

Neither defendant testified; but two witnesses testified that Winn was in a restaurant at 4134 West 16th Street in Chicago and left between 11:45 p.m. and midnight.

The defendants first contend that they were not proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. The evidence against Kinzie is overwhelming. The evidence against Winn consists of identification by Jackson as the man who robbed lnm, the identification by Swanson as a passenger in Jackson’s car, and the arrest by Oswald as Winn was “running through a gangway” a short distance from the stolen car. Although Winn submitted two alibi witnesses, the trier of fact was not required to believe them. (People v. Huey, 17 Ill.App.3d 245, 249, 307 N.E.2d 767. Both defendants were proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.) People v. Scott, 20 Ill.App.3d 880, 314 N.E.2d 671.

The defendants also contend that the suggestive fine-up procedures employed by the police, the failure to make a photographic record of the line-up and the State’s failure to name or call any officer present for the line-up were- circumstances that denied the defendants due process of law.

The burden of proving that a pretrial line-up procedure is unfair rests with the defendants. (People v. Blumenshine, 42 Ill.2d 508, 511, 250 N.E.2d 152.) When Jackson was asked if the police told him they had the two men that had robbed him, he testified: “They said they had a line-up for me to look at and see if I could pick them out, which I did.” This case is factually inapposite to People v. Lee, 54 Ill.2d 111, 295 N.E.2d 449, cited by the defendants, in which the police called the witness and told him they “had the guys who did it. Come on down and identify them.” When the witness arrived at the police station, the defendant -was brought in handcuffed to a suspect whom the witness had previously identified. - •

People v. Irons, 20 Ill.App.3d 125, 312 N.E.2d 664, is a clear answer to the defendants’ contention that the three-man liiie-up containing the two defendants was in and of itself impermissively suggestive. The court said (20 Ill.App.3d 125 at 129):

“Here, it is true that only one other man appeared in the line-up with defendants, but a line-up is not rendered defective or prejudicial merely because of its numerical composition or the manner in which it is conducted as such matters go only to the weight of the identification testimony. [Citation.]”

See also People v. Rosenborgh, 21 Ill.App.3d 676, 315 N.E.2d 545.

The defendants have not cited a case, nor do we befieve one exists, that holds that failure to take a picture of the line-up is a denial of due process. We cannot see how the failure to take a picture would have any “suggestive” impact on an identification.

On August 20, 1973, tire defendants filed a discovery motion asking for the names of aH witnesses to the defendants’ identification. On August 30, the State answered and fisted as possible witnesses Robert Jackson, Officers Swanson and Vrtis and Officer Erjevic of the Cicero Police; and medical personnel at McNeal Hospital. On September 24, the defendants waived a jury and at the same time filed a motion to suppress the identification testimony; a motion to quash the arrest and suppress evidence; and a motion to suppress a statement. At the request of the defendants’ attorney, the motions were heard with the trial.

The State called Officer Erjevic’s partner, George Buenik, a police officer for Cicero. He testified that Jerry Winn was brought to the Cicero police station about 5:30 a.m. and Bennie Iiinzie at about 11 a.m.; and that a line-up was held about noon.

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Bluebook (online)
334 N.E.2d 872, 31 Ill. App. 3d 832, 1975 Ill. App. LEXIS 2900, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-kinzie-illappct-1975.