People v. Lindsey

499 N.E.2d 715, 148 Ill. App. 3d 751, 102 Ill. Dec. 158, 1986 Ill. App. LEXIS 2971
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedOctober 27, 1986
Docket5-85-0484
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 499 N.E.2d 715 (People v. Lindsey) 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. Lindsey, 499 N.E.2d 715, 148 Ill. App. 3d 751, 102 Ill. Dec. 158, 1986 Ill. App. LEXIS 2971 (Ill. Ct. App. 1986).

Opinion

JUSTICE WELCH

delivered the opinion of the court:

Following a jury trial in the circuit court of Randolph County, defendant, Sherley Lindsey, a/k/a Jack Lindsey, was found guilty of aggravated criminal sexual assault, attempted aggravated criminal assault, and aggravated criminal sexual abuse. On appeal, defendant raises the following issues: (1) whether the trial court erred when it denied the defendant’s petition for discharge based upon a statutory right to speedy trial; (2) whether the court properly excluded evidence on cross-examination that the victim may have been previously raped under section 115 — 7(a) of the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963 (hereinafter referred to as the rape shield law) (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1985, ch. 38, par. 115 — 7(a)); (3) whether the trial court erred in permitting certified copies of docket sheets from the States of Missouri and Illinois to prove defendant’s prior convictions for purposes of impeachment; and (4) whether the trial court erred in permitting testimony of the caseworkers in light of the court’s ruling on the defendant’s motion in limine. We affirm.

At the trial, the following facts were adduced. In July of 1984 the defendant and his family moved from their residence on George Street to State Street in Chester, Illinois. Helping the defendant and his family to move was the victim, her mother, and three of her brothers. The victim’s father could not assist in the move because he was working. During the move, the defendant agreed to stay at his house while his wife, Laura Lindsey, and his son, Raymond Lindsey, with the victim’s mother and oldest of those brothers present transported the items to the other house. Since they used a station wagon to transport some of the items, approximately three trips were made to and from the houses. During those trips to the house on State Street, the defendant sexually assaulted the victim.

While the victim was in the defendant’s care, the defendant fondled her breasts in the kitchen. Another incident occurred in Laura Lindsey’s bedroom. At that time, he grabbed the victim by the wrists, threw her on the bed and began to fondle her breasts. However, the sexual assault was interrupted by one of the victim’s brothers. He came into the bedroom, saw the defendant and the victim “rassling” around, and then tried to join them. The victim prevented any intervention by hitting her brother on the side of the head. During the incident the victim’s brother noticed that the victim was laughing differently. Not long after he entered, the victim, defendant, and her brother left the bedroom.

The third incident occurred in Raymond Lindsey’s bedroom. At that time, the defendant entered Raymond’s bedroom, in which the victim was cleaning, threw her on the bed, took off his clothes, then hers, and then raped her. The victim did not tell anyone about the incident. Later, she told her oldest brother, then eventually she told her teacher, Susan Berner; Judith Dunning of the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS); and Pat Blair of the Human Service Center.

Susan Berner, victim’s teacher at Chester Community Grade School, stated that she had taught the victim for the past six years because her speciality is teaching the educable mentally handicapped (EMH). Victim is an EMH student. Berner stated that when the school started in the fall, she noticed that the victim had changed. Normally the victim was a shy, soft-spoken child who would play with the other children. However, during the school term following the incident, the victim became withdrawn; she would neither talk to anyone, nor play with the other children. Victim wanted to be alone. The victim also began to fail her classes.

At the trial, Pat Blair stated that she provides out-client counseling for individuals, groups, or families with emotional problems. She counsels young victims of sexual abuse and works with children with learning disabilities. The victim was referred to her by DCFS after the investigation for sexual abuse. She discovered the victim to be functioning emotionally and socially at the age of a seven-year-old, although she is 12 years old. She also observed that the victim was very naive and shy and had a very limited knowledge of sex.

Judith Dunning, an investigator for DCFS, stated that she observed the victim to be incredibly shy. It took several interviews with the victim before she talked to Dunning about the incident with the defendant.

The victim’s mother stated at the trial that her family and defendant’s family had been friends for 14 or 15 years. She left the victim and victim’s two younger brothers with defendant to watch. After the move, she noticed that the victim’s behavior changed. She began to cry a lot, would not talk to her, did not want to be around others and was very nervous.

At the end of the trial, the jury returned a guilty verdict on all three offenses. From this verdict, the defendant appeals.

In defendant’s first issue on appeal, he argues that he was not brought to trial within the statutory 120 days from the date of incarceration. Thus, he argues that the trial court should not have tried his case but should have dismissed it.

Under section 103 — 5(a) of the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963, a defendant who is incarcerated “for an alleged offense shall be tried by the court having jurisdiction within 120 days from the date he was taken into custody.” (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1985, ch. 38, par. 103— 5(a).) Only where the court has determined that “the State has exercised without success due diligence to obtain evidence material to the case and that there are reasonable grounds to believe that such evidence may be obtained at a later day the court may continue the cause on application of the State for not more than an additional 60 days.” (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1985, ch. 38, par. 103 — 5(c).) Whether the statutory prerequisite of section 103 — 5(c) was met rests within the sound discretion of the trial court, and, on appeal, this court will not disturb the trial court’s determination unless there was a clear abuse of discretion. People v. Garrett (1982), 104 Ill. App. 3d 178, 181, 432 N.E.2d 1305, 1307.

First of all, under section 1.11 of “An Act to revise the law in relation to the construction of the statutes,” the first day of his incarceration is not counted. (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1985, ch. 1, par. 1012; People v. Grant (1982), 104 Ill. App. 3d 183, 432 N.E.2d 1129; People v. Garrett (1982), 104 Ill. App. 3d 178, 432 N.E.2d 1305.) In this case, the defendant was incarcerated on November 20, 1984, and released on recognizance bond on March 20, 1985. From the calculation in section 1.11, the defendant was released on the 120th day.

In the alternative, in view of the court’s language at the hearing on the defendant’s motion for continuance, the court granted the motion based upon section 103 — 5(c), which extends the speedy-trial period as much as 60 days. The court stated at the hearing:

“I think your witness is probably an important witness. Mr.

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Bluebook (online)
499 N.E.2d 715, 148 Ill. App. 3d 751, 102 Ill. Dec. 158, 1986 Ill. App. LEXIS 2971, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-lindsey-illappct-1986.