People v. Lang

587 N.E.2d 490, 225 Ill. App. 3d 229, 167 Ill. Dec. 221, 1992 Ill. App. LEXIS 69
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedJanuary 21, 1992
Docket1-87-1833, 1-87-1872 cons.
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 587 N.E.2d 490 (People v. Lang) 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. Lang, 587 N.E.2d 490, 225 Ill. App. 3d 229, 167 Ill. Dec. 221, 1992 Ill. App. LEXIS 69 (Ill. Ct. App. 1992).

Opinion

JUSTICE McCORMICK

delivered the opinion of the court:

In 1971, defendant, Donald Lang, was arrested and charged with the murder of Earlene Brown. At the time of the murder, defendant, who has been deaf from birth, was unable to speak, read, or write and did not know sign language. In 1972, defendant was tried for the murder and convicted by a jury. On appeal, after determining that defendant’s disabilities deprived him of a fair trial, this court reversed defendant’s conviction and remanded the cause for a fitness hearing. People v. Lang (1975), 26 Ill. App. 3d 648, 325 N.E.2d 305.

On remand in 1976, defendant was found unfit to stand trial and was placed in the Department of Mental Health’s Psychiatric Institute (Department). Subsequently, the trial court allowed the Department to discharge defendant to the Cook County jail. In addition, the trial court issued a writ of mandamus requiring the Department to implement a care and treatment program for defendant and denied a writ of habeas corpus filed by defendant. In an appeal from the trial court’s order, this court vacated the mandamus and affirmed the denial of defendant’s writ of habeas corpus. People v. Lang (1978), 62 Ill. App. 3d 688, 378 N.E.2d 1106.

Following an appeal to the Illinois Supreme Court, the cause was again remanded for a determination of whether defendant remained unfit to stand trial. (People v. Lang (1979), 76 Ill. 2d 311, 391 N.E.2d 350.) On remand, the trial court again found defendant unfit and further foünd that there was no substantial probability that defendant would attain fitness within one year. Subsequently, a commitment hearing was held and the trial court determined that defendant met the criteria for involuntary commitment by the Department of Mental Health. Since that determination, the trial court has held regular hearings on defendant’s status. In each, the court has found that defendant continues to meet the criteria for involuntary commitment.

In an appeal from those hearings and from the trial court’s denial of defendant’s request for a formal hearing on his fitness to stand trial, this court held that defendant was entitled to a formal fitness hearing. However, the court also held that defendant was not entitled to a discharge hearing as set forth in sections 104— 23(a) and 104 — 25 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963 (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1981, ch. 38, pars. 104 — 23(a), 104 — 25), because defendant’s 1972 trial provided him with the one discharge hearing to which he was entitled. People v. Lang (1984), 127 Ill. App. 3d 313, 468 N.E.2d 1303.

On appeal, the Illinois Supreme Court reversed that portion of this court’s decision denying defendant a discharge hearing. The supreme court held that if, on remand, defendant was again found to be unfit to stand trial, he should be provided with another discharge hearing. People v. Lang (1986), 113 Ill. 2d 407, 498 N.E.2d 1105.

On March 23, 1987, another fitness hearing was conducted by the trial court. Following the hearing, defendant was once again found unfit to stand trial, and the court granted defendant’s request for a discharge hearing.

At the hearing, Rufus Knight was called as a witness on behalf of the State. Knight testified that in 1971, he lived at the Viceroy Hotel located at 1519 Warren Boulevard in Chicago. Knight stated that the Viceroy was both a transient and residential hotel, with the top four floors of the building reserved for permanent residents.

Knight testified that on July 25, 1971, at approximately 1:30 a.m., he was in the lobby of the hotel when defendant entered with Earlene Brown. Brown was given a room card by Mattie Ligun, the hotel manager. Brown filled out the card and gave it to defendant, who then paid Ligun. After receiving the key to room 201 from Li-gun, defendant and Brown entered the elevator.

The next time Knight saw defendant was at 3:30 a.m., when defendant returned to the lobby. Knight testified that defendant was alone and that after returning the room key to Ligun, defendant left the hotel. Knight further testified that he did not see Earlene Brown leave the hotel.

James Padar of the Chicago police department testified that on July 26, 1971, he was assigned to Area 4 as a homicide detective. At approximately 12:20 p.m. on that date, he received a call concerning a body found at the Viceroy Hotel. Padar went to the hotel, where he found a woman’s body in the closet of room 201. Padar testified that the body, identified as that of Earlene Brown, was lying facedown with the face and upper torso on the floor and the legs extending up along the wall of the closet. Underneath the body were Brown’s clothing, two bed sheets and some pillows.

Later that day, Padar arrested defendant and took him to Area 4. Padar testified that after he and defendant arrived at the police station, he noticed that defendant had a reddish-brown stain on one of his socks. These socks and defendant’s other clothing were submitted to the crime laboratory for examination.

Timothy Zamb testified that in 1971 he was employed by the Chicago police department as a microanalyst. Zamb testified that in July 1971, he examined blood and bone tissues from Earlene Brown and determined that her blood was type B. Zamb testified that he also tested defendant's clothing and found type B human blood on defendant’s T-shirt, socks and pants. Human blood also was found on defendant’s shoes, but in an amount insufficient for typing.

Zamb further testified that flakes of green paint were found on the clothing of both defendant and Brown. Zamb testified that he compared the paint flakes taken from defendant’s clothing with those taken from Brown’s clothing and found that the flakes were similar in color, texture and sheen.

Zamb also testified that he examined a sample of defendant’s blood and found it to be type O. And on cross-examination, Zamb testified that the blood found on defendant’s clothing could have been present there for a period ranging from several hours to months.

Also admitted into evidence by the State were transcripts from defendant’s 1972 trial and 1976 civil commitment hearing, including the testimony of Mattie Ligun and Sarah Williams, a maid at the Viceroy Hotel. Both Ligun and Williams were deceased at the time of the discharge hearing. A supplemental record containing Williams’ testimony has been filed with this court. The transcripts of Ligun’s testimony and the testimony of the other witnesses at the 1972 and 1976 proceedings were not made a part of the record on appeal.

At the time of the 1972 trial, Williams was 75 years old. She testified that between 2:30 and 3 a.m. on the morning of July 25, 1971, she went to room 201 and that when she entered the room she noticed that the linen and pillows were missing from the bed.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
587 N.E.2d 490, 225 Ill. App. 3d 229, 167 Ill. Dec. 221, 1992 Ill. App. LEXIS 69, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-lang-illappct-1992.