People v. Lemons

593 N.E.2d 1040, 229 Ill. App. 3d 645, 171 Ill. Dec. 220, 1992 Ill. App. LEXIS 786
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedMay 21, 1992
DocketNo. 4—91—0772
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 593 N.E.2d 1040 (People v. Lemons) 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. Lemons, 593 N.E.2d 1040, 229 Ill. App. 3d 645, 171 Ill. Dec. 220, 1992 Ill. App. LEXIS 786 (Ill. Ct. App. 1992).

Opinion

JUSTICE McCULLOUGH

delivered the opinion of the court:

Defendant Alonzo Ray Lemons was convicted of aggravated criminal sexual abuse (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1989, ch. 38, par. 12 — 16(d)) following a jury trial in McLean County, Illinois, and sentenced to 48 months’ probation with four months of periodic imprisonment and the first 12 months of defendant’s probation upon release from periodic imprisonment to be intensive probation supervision. Defendant was also fined $400, and ordered to pay court costs and to perform 130 hours of community service. Defendant appeals, contending (1) his conviction must be reversed because the State failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he did not reasonably believe the victim was 17 years of age or older and (2) he is entitled to a $35 credit toward his fine for time served in the county jail. We affirm and remand with directions.

The facts will be reviewed in a limited fashion as pertinent to defendant’s contentions on appeal.

On September 2, 1990, the victim and her boyfriend, Scott Aldridge, attended a party at defendant’s home. Defendant, the victim and several other people at the party consumed alcoholic beverages; however, Aldridge did not drink anything. As the party was ending, the victim and Aldridge began to argue. Aldridge wanted to leave the party, while the victim wished to stay.

In her statement to the police, which she made the day after the incident, the victim stated the fight occurred outside defendant’s house near Aldridge’s car as he was leaving the party. She stated Aldridge pushed her into the car whereupon she struck her head on the gearshift. Upon hearing her scream, defendant ran out of his house toward Aldridge’s car. The victim said defendant jerked her by her arm and forced her back into the house. She stated defendant got undressed, ran around the house looking for something, and then pushed her toward the couch. Defendant then grabbed her off of the couch, holding both of her arms, and led her back into his bedroom, where he threw her onto the bed, pulled up her skirt and took off her sweatshirt. Her underwear was already off, although she could not recall how it had been removed. She then stated defendant climbed on top of her, pinning both of her arms and her right leg down, and forced her to have sexual intercourse with him. After approximately two minutes, he passed out and she got dressed and went into the living room. The police then arrived, woke up defendant and took him to jail.

At trial, however, the victim gave a completely different story. First, she testified she was 14 years of age at the time of this incident. She further testified she voluntarily went back into defendant’s house with him and that they did not have sexual intercourse that evening. The victim explained she lied to the police and to the grand jury which indicted defendant because she was afraid of her mother and did not want her mother to think she voluntarily slept with a black man. The victim testified she never told defendant how old she was and she thought he was 20 or 21 years of age.

Scott Aldridge testified he was the victim’s boyfriend and was 20 years old at the time of the incident. He testified he went to the party at defendant’s house with the victim, and they got into a fight as he attempted to leave. Aldridge testified the victim screamed and defendant ran out of his house toward Aldridge’s car. After he and defendant exchanged words, Aldridge testified defendant grabbed the victim and took her back into his house. Aldridge left defendant’s house and drove to a friend’s house to get help to get the victim out of defendant’s house. Aldridge returned to defendant’s house and found Lillian Donnelly, another person who attended the party, on defendant’s porch. Aldridge testified the lights were off in the house and the door was locked. He went to the front door and knocked several times but got no response. He went around to the back door and knocked very loudly but also got no response. Aldridge testified that while he was knocking on both doors he was also yelling at defendant that the victim was only 14 years old.

The police arrived and Aldridge told them defendant was in the house, naked, with a 14-year-old girl. Aldridge testified the police eventually broke into the house, removed defendant and the victim, and took defendant to jail and the victim to the hospital. On cross-examination, Aldridge admitted when he made his statement to the police the day after the incident, he did not mention the fact that he yelled to defendant that the victim was only 14 years old.

Officer Robert Siron of the Bloomington police department testified he responded to a call at defendant’s address and upon arriving found two other police officers already on the scene. Officer Siron spoke to Aldridge, who said his girlfriend was in the house with defendant and the last time he saw defendant, he (defendant) was naked. Officer Siron testified Aldridge told him the victim was only 14 years old. Officer Siron walked onto the front porch and entered the house after the two other officers broke through the rear door. He observed the victim on the couch and described her as hysterical and crying. Siron testified the victim stated defendant took off her pantyhose, socks and underwear in the living room and then carried her into the bedroom. Officer Siron saw these items on the living room floor. He then took the victim to Brokaw Hospital and attempted to take a statement from her, but stopped because she became very hysterical.

Defendant testified that he was 22 years old at the time of this incident. He testified that at the party the victim was rubbing her leg against him while they were seated at his kitchen table playing a drinking game. Defendant testified the victim and Aldridge got into a fight about whether the victim would stay at the party or leave with Aldridge. Defendant stated Aldridge was outside on the front porch knocking on the door and asking to talk to the victim. They continued arguing and Aldridge finally left the house. Defendant testified he shut the door and sat on the couch with the victim. Aldridge returned and defendant suggested the victim speak with him because he was making a lot of noise and defendant was afraid Aldridge would wake up the neighbors. Defendant testified the victim shut off the lights and told him that if they were quiet, Aldridge would leave.

Defendant testified the victim at this time was indicating she wished to have sexual intercourse with him. He stated he began looking for cigarettes and was not paying attention to the victim or what she was doing. He then testified she came into the hallway near the bedroom in her bra and panties and called him into the bedroom. A few minutes later, defendant went into the bedroom and found the victim lying on the bed with no clothes on. Defendant testified he attempted to get undressed but had trouble getting his pants off. Defendant testified the next thing he remembered was being awakened by the police.

Defendant testified he made a statement to the police on September 2, 1990, that he did not have sexual intercourse with the victim. The following day, after defendant had given blood, saliva and head and pubic hair standards, he gave another statement to the police that he may have had sex with the victim. On April 2, 1991, defendant told Detective Michael Fazio he did have sexual intercourse with the victim on September 2, 1990.

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Bluebook (online)
593 N.E.2d 1040, 229 Ill. App. 3d 645, 171 Ill. Dec. 220, 1992 Ill. App. LEXIS 786, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-lemons-illappct-1992.