People v. Lempesis

2019 IL App (1st) 180182-U
Appellate Court of Illinois·Decided December 31, 2019·No. 1-18-0182·Unpublished

Opinion

2019 IL App (1st) 180182-U

THIRD DIVISION

December 31, 2019

No. 1-18-0182

NOTICE: This order was filed under Supreme Court Rule 23 and may not be cited as precedent by any party except in the limited circumstances allowed under Rule 23(e)(1).

IN THE

APPELLATE COURT OF ILLINOIS FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, ) Appeal from the ) Circuit Court of

Plaintiff-Appellee, ) Cook County.

)

v. ) No. 15 CR 15299 )

SPIRO LEMPESIS, ) Honorable ) Gregory R. Ginex,

Defendant-Appellant. ) Judge Presiding.

JUSTICE HOWSE delivered the judgment of the court.

Presiding Justice Ellis and Justice Cobbs concurred in the judgment.

ORDER

¶1 Held: The judgment of the circuit court of Cook County is reversed; the trial court’s limitation on defendant’s subpoena duces tecum prejudiced defendant because defendant’s subpoena sought relevant and material information that could have aided in his defense and the trial court failed to conduct an in camera examination of all of the material potentially responsive to the subpoena to determine if it was discoverable or subject to the work product privilege.

¶2 Defendant appeals his conviction following a bench trial on one count of criminal sexual assault and two counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse against a minor at a time when defendant was the victim’s baseball pitching coach. On appeal defendant argues the circuit court of Cook County committed reversible error in pretrial rulings on discovery, violated his Confrontation Clause rights by improperly limiting cross-examination, and erroneously relied on evidence outside the record and improperly admitted evidence. Defendant also argues the State failed to prove him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt because the victim’s testimony was inconsistent and contradicted.

¶3 For the following reasons, we reverse defendant’s conviction and remand for a new trial.

¶4 BACKGROUND

¶5 The State charged defendant, Spiro Lempesis, with one count of criminal sexual assault and three counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse against A.C. when A.C. was between the ages of 13 and 17 years old and defendant was 17 years old or older and “held a position of trust, authority, or supervision in relation to A.C., to wit: coach.”

¶6 In 2012 Concordia University, a codefendant in a civil lawsuit A.C. filed against defendant, retained an attorney to conduct an internal investigation regarding defendant. Concordia hired attorney Patrick Collins of Perkins Coie to investigate if defendant had committed any misconduct other than with A.C. Approximately forty witnesses were interviewed during the investigation.

¶7 Before trial in this case, defendant subpoenaed from Concordia “[a]ny and all documents, statements, reports, *** [or] investigation *** pertaining to any information of alleged inappropriate touching and/or communication that [defendant] allegedly had with any individuals at any time. This includes any investigation by any individual concerning alleged misconduct committed by [defendant.]” The subpoena also sought any writings, documents, or reports from Collins regarding any allegations as to inappropriate touching concerning defendant. At a pretrial hearing an attorney for Concordia informed the trial court that there would be some objections to defendant’s discovery request. Specifically, Concordia’s attorney represented to the court that some of the material defendant requested “would be duplicative because it was all returned through the Grand Jury.” The court ordered the requested materials brought to court so that they could “go through it and see exactly what [defendant] is entitled to and decide if everything or not or none or partial.” The court stated if there was “material turned over to the

*** Grand Jury, and was tendered to [the defense] in discovery, then it is duplicitous.” Concordia’s attorney stated the university would be raising attorney/client privilege in opposition to the request for Collins’s report. The court ordered Concordia to prepare a listing of the materials that had been submitted to the Grand Jury.

¶8 When the parties returned to court the attorney for Concordia represented to the trial court that it had prepared the listing of materials and that Concordia had complied with the subpoena stating “We believe our response for the Grand Jury Subpoena which asked for everything related to [A.C.] and [defendant’s] misconduct has been tendered.” The trial court noted that despite the language in the subpoena seeking documents related to “any individuals” the discovery response should be limited to matters related to A.C. and defendant’s attorney agreed stating “If you want to limit it to [A.C.,] that’s fine.” The State stated it was also seeking Collins’s investigation report of the investigation he conducted for Concordia. Concordia’s attorney informed the court that when Concordia responded to the Grand Jury subpoena it “asserted privilege with respect to that report.” The trial court confirmed that Collins “did a thorough investigative report for Concordia based on certain allegations” then ruled as follows:

“Anything relating to the defendant and relating to perhaps an interview with the defendant or relating to [A.C.] should be before me. So if you have something from Collins that relates to that individual or those items that I just said, I should have it in terms of discovery, and [defendant’s attorney] would be entitled to it. ***

So what I am going to say is this. If we have to—you tendered in response to Grand Jury what you believe is proper. Now we are talking about a report by Mr. Collins which is separate and apart from the Grand Jury. You are

going to have to tender that to me. I will review it and see what portions, if any, are relevant to turn over to the defense.

***

[A]ny documents that are generated by Concordia regarding this victim and this defendant will be brought before me, I will review them and determine whether, in camera, they are relevant and they should be disclosed or not.”

Later in the pretrial hearing the trial court addressed defendant’s attorney and reiterated that “communications with ‘any individual at any time’ is irrelevant. The only thing that I have before me is [A.C.] and [defendant.]” The court later concluded by informing defendant’s attorney “if you can say specifically that [A.C.] said something about activity with Person A, you are entitled to it. If you can say your defendant disclosed something to Person B because of this, you are entitled to it.” The court continued the matter.

¶9 When the parties returned to the trial court the court ordered Concordia to turn over Collins’s report for an in camera review. The court had explained that if Collins interviewed defendant and took an audio statement from defendant and if Collins talked to A.C. then the court would determine “whether or not there is anything of relevance that can be turned over to the defendant.” Regardless, “if there are statements of the defendant that were given to Mr. Collins, [defendant’s attorney] is entitled to those.” The court ordered that if anything in Collin’s report was discoverable the court would “excise it and tender it to [defendant’s attorney.]” The court stated: “What matters is, if [Collins] talked to the defendant and if he talked to the victim. And that’s what I’m going to rule on.”

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People v. Lempesis, 2019 IL App (1st) 180182-U (Ill. Ct. App. 2019).

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