People v. Lauer

653 N.E.2d 30, 210 Ill. Dec. 443, 273 Ill. App. 3d 469, 1995 Ill. App. LEXIS 445
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedJune 28, 1995
Docket1-92-3055
StatusPublished
Cited by21 cases

This text of 653 N.E.2d 30 (People v. Lauer) 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. Lauer, 653 N.E.2d 30, 210 Ill. Dec. 443, 273 Ill. App. 3d 469, 1995 Ill. App. LEXIS 445 (Ill. Ct. App. 1995).

Opinion

JUSTICE CERDA

delivered the opinion of the court:

Following a jury trial, defendant, Eric Lauer, was convicted of two counts of resisting arrest (720 ILCS 5/31 — 1 (West 1992)) and one count of escape (720 ILCS 5/31 — 6 (West 1992)) and was sentenced to three concurrent one-year terms of reporting supervision and 100 hours of community service. On appeal, defendant asserts that (1) his convictions for resisting arrest must be reversed because the complaints failed to specifically allege the physical acts committed by him that constituted resisting arrest; (2) he was not proved guilty of escape beyond a reasonable doubt; and (3) he cannot be convicted of both resisting a peace officer and escape from that same officer because they arose out of the same act. For the following reasons, we affirm.

Defendant was charged with disorderly conduct, criminal damage to property, several counts of aggravated assault, battery, escape, and resisting arrest. Prior to trial, the State dismissed the disorderly conduct charge and defendant’s motion to quash the arrest was denied.

The following testimony was heard at trial.

Niles police sergeant John Fryksdale and Niles police officer Thomas Davis testified that they went to 8359 Maynard Road, Niles, on May 8, 1991, after receiving a report of a loud party. Both officers stated that they heard music from a block away as they approached the residence around 1:20 a.m. There was a van in the driveway with several people in and around the van.

According to Fryksdale, defendant was in the front seat of the van working on the radio. There appeared to be six people inside the van, 15 people outside the van, and several more people going in and out of the house. After Fryksdale told defendant that there had been a report of a loud party in defendant’s driveway, defendant agreed to clean up and take the party inside. Fryksdale returned to his squad car, where he and Davis waited 8 to 10 minutes before returning to the property.

When the officers ordered everyone to leave, defendant told them to get off his property and told his friends to go into his house. A heated argument began between defendant and the officers and eventually escalated into a physical struggle. Much of the confrontation was videotaped by defendant and played several times during the trial.

According to Officer Fryksdale, defendant kicked him in the leg before both officers were knocked to the ground and the scuffle ensued. Officer Davis testified that he did not see how the scuffle started, but he tried to handcuff defendant. Fryksdale testified that defendant broke away and ran into the house after he hit Davis in the shins. During the struggle, the videocamera was knocked to the ground.

The officers pursued defendant. When they reached him, they tried to handcuff him, but he broke free. They caught up to him in the back bedroom, where Fryksdale struggled with him as Davis put his arm around defendant’s neck in a retention hold.

Defendant was struggling and grabbing at Davis’ arms as Davis pulled him backwards from the back bedroom toward the front door. Upon reaching the front part of the house, defendant dropped to his knees, then to the ground, before grabbing Davis’ arm and pushing it behind the officer’s back. Defendant then broke free, ran out the kitchen door, and disappeared.

After the State rested, the trial court made a directed finding of not guilty on the battery and criminal damage to property charges, but denied defendant’s motion for a directed finding on the aggravated assault, resisting arrest, and escape charges.

Rose Lauer, defendant’s mother, testified that she was home on May 8, 1991. Her husband and granddaughter were sleeping upstairs and she was watching television in the living room with her sister and a friend. After midnight, Ms. Lauer heard noises from the front of the house, but she did not hear a radio, music, or drilling. Defendant came into the house, said that there was trouble with the police, and took a videocamera outside.

Shortly afterwards, defendant’s friends came into the house and Ms. Lauer heard scuffling outside. She went to the door, but the police shoved her back inside. She pushed the door open again and saw the police officers beating defendant. Ms. Lauer can be heard on the videotape begging the police not to hurt defendant.

According to Ms. Lauer, defendant tore off his shirt and ran into the house. The officers pursued him and were beating him in the hallway. Ms. Lauer gave the videocamera to Joseph Scianna, a friend of defendant, and told him to start filming. There is a gap in the videotape from outside until Davis pulled defendant into the living room. Ms. Lauer stated that she was begging the police to stop when defendant broke loose and ran.

Joseph Scianna testified that he was at the Lauer home on May 8, 1991, while defendant was rewiring the lights in Matthew Gresky’s van. After defendant came into the house, the police followed and grabbed him in the front room. Scianna began filming with the video-camera. A police officer had his arm around defendant’s neck, but defendant did not say anything as he was moved down the hallway to the front door.

Defendant testified that he began rewiring Gresky’s van around 11:30 p.m. or midnight on May 8,1991. Matthew Gresky was a friend. There was no radio in the van and no one was playing a musical instrument or making loud noises. Later that evening, the police arrived. Officer Fryksdale told defendant that there was a loud music complaint. He said that he was going to leave and when he returned in 10 minutes, everyone should be gone. Defendant told Fryksdale that was not a problem and everyone would leave. Fryksdale returned to his squad car and another police officer drove up. According to defendant, Fryksdale would not let anyone leave because his car was partially blocking the driveway. Defendant went inside the house and got the videocamera because he had a history of not getting along with the Niles police.

When the police officers returned to the property, defendant began filming. He denied using vulgarities and insulting language until the officers came toward him and kept telling him to call the police. Officer Fryksdale told defendant to "chill out,” then said "guess what,” and kneed him in the groin. Defendant denied kicking Fryksdale in the shin, doing any physical acts to incite Fryksdale, striking Davis prior to getting kneed, or using threatening language.

After being kicked, defendant fell to the ground and Davis grabbed his neck. During the scuffle, defendant dropped the video-camera and Davis fell over. Fryksdale held the front door closed and told Ms. Lauer to stay inside. Defendant told Fryksdale to "get his hands off my mom,” and called out to his mother to get his father. Davis grabbed defendant from behind and both officers were on top of defendant. In the struggle, defendant’s shirt was torn off. Defendant broke loose, grabbed the camera, and went inside the house. Defendant denied hitting the officers or attempting to take their weapons. He said that he resisted only so that they would stop beating him.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
653 N.E.2d 30, 210 Ill. Dec. 443, 273 Ill. App. 3d 469, 1995 Ill. App. LEXIS 445, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-lauer-illappct-1995.