People v. Lucy

562 N.E.2d 1158, 204 Ill. App. 3d 1019, 150 Ill. Dec. 355, 1990 Ill. App. LEXIS 1655
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedOctober 23, 1990
Docket5-89-0367
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 562 N.E.2d 1158 (People v. Lucy) 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. Lucy, 562 N.E.2d 1158, 204 Ill. App. 3d 1019, 150 Ill. Dec. 355, 1990 Ill. App. LEXIS 1655 (Ill. Ct. App. 1990).

Opinion

JUSTICE WELCH

delivered the opinion of the court:

The People of the State of Illinois appeal from a judgment, entered May 22, 1989, granting the motion of defendant, Eldon D. Lucy, Jr., to quash his arrest. Defendant was arrested for the offense of burglary sometime on November 27, 1988. The defendant argues that he was arrested and taken into custody at approximately 11 a.m., when he accompanied police officers to the police department for questioning. The State argues that defendant was not arrested or taken into custody until approximately 2:30 p.m., after he had confessed to the crime. The trial court found that defendant was arrested at approximately 11 a.m., when he accompanied police officers to the police department. The first issue presented by the State for our review is whether the trial court erred in so finding.

The answer to this first issue is relevant to the second issue presented for our review: whether there was probable cause for defendant’s arrest at the time of his arrest. If the arrest occurred subsequent to defendant’s confession, as the State argues, there can be little doubt that there was probable cause for his arrest. However, the trial court found that the arrest occurred prior to defendant’s confession and that, at that time, there was no probable cause for the arrest. The State argues that even at this time there was probable cause for defendant’s arrest. Thus, the second issue presented for our review is whether the trial court erred in finding no probable cause for defendant’s arrest.

The third issue presented for our review is whether, in the event we hold that defendant’s arrest was illegal, this cause must be remanded for a hearing on the separate issue of whether, despite defendant’s illegal arrest, his confession was voluntary and admissible under Brown v. Illinois (1975), 422 U.S. 590, 45 L. Ed. 2d 416, 95 S. Ct. 2254. Defendant argues that the State has waived this issue for review by failing to request such a hearing before the trial court and that, in any event, the trial court implicitly ruled on this issue when it granted defendant’s motion. Defendant has also filed a motion to strike this third issue from the State’s brief for the reason that the State, which, as appellant, has the burden of preparing the record on appeal, is relying on an incomplete record to argue that the trial court did not reach this issue. We have ordered that this motion be taken with the case.

The facts adduced at the hearing on defendant’s motion are as follows. The defendant called two witnesses, Sergeant Larry Patton and Detective Leonard Kline, of the Effingham city police department, who testified that on November 27, 1988, they went to defendant’s apartment without an arrest or search warrant, that they did not observe defendant engage in any illegal activity, and that evidence was seized and defendant was questioned and arrested. Defendant then rested.

The State called Detective Leonard Kline to testify. Kline testified that he investigated a burglary of Thies’ Grocery Store which occurred during the late night hours of November 26, 1988, or early morning hours of November 27, 1988. During that investigation, Kline learned that defendant had been observed by another police officer in the vicinity of the burglary the night it occurred. Kline and Sergeant Larry Patton went to defendant’s apartment at approximately 9:30 or 10 the morning of November 27, 1988, to question defendant. The door was opened by Kelly Krone, defendant’s girl friend, who, upon being asked if defendant was home, responded that he had gone to the IGA store for a cup of coffee. The officers informed her that they would wait for defendant in the hallway. Someone in the apartment then stated that he would talk to the officers. Kline, who had heard defendant’s voice in the past, recognized defendant’s voice as that coming from the apartment. The officers were then admitted to the apartment. Defendant was told that there had been a burglary at Thies’ Grocery Store, that he had been seen in the area, and that the officers would like to talk to him. Defendant stated that he was not involved in the burglary. Sergeant Patton asked defendant if they could look in his refrigerator. Defendant consented. The refrigerator contained some 2% milk and two cartons of eggs that were the same brand as had been taken in the burglary. At that point, the officers left. They had spent approximately five minutes in defendant’s apartment.

The officers went to the grocery store and saw that the price tags used there were similar to those on the milk and eggs found in defendant’s apartment. The officers had also called defendant’s mother to ask her if she had given defendant any groceries because defendant had told the officers that his mother had given him the milk and eggs. Defendant’s mother denied having given him any groceries.

At approximately 11 a.m., Kline and Patton returned to defendant’s apartment to ask defendant and Kelly Krone to go to the police department.

The officers were standing in the hallway outside defendant’s apartment when they asked defendant to go to the police department. The officers did not tell defendant that he had to go, but defendant consented. Defendant rode to the police department in Sergeant Patton’s squad car.

At the police department, defendant was taken to Kline’s office, a room approximately 12 feet by 12 feet. At times the door to the room was closed, at times it was left open. The door was never locked. Defendant was never told that he could not leave or that he was in custody. Kline saw defendant there at approximately 1:50 p.m. After having been advised of his Miranda rights by Sergeant Patton, defendant confessed to the crime. Detective Kline then placed defendant under arrest.

On cross-examination, Kline admitted that when he initially went to defendant’s apartment, he already considered defendant a possible suspect in the burglary. Both officers were in uniform, armed and driving a marked squad car. Kline did not recall that defendant asked them if they had an arrest or search warrant. Kline did not investigate whether other grocery stores sold the same brand milk and eggs, with similar price stickers, as those found in defendant’s refrigerator.

At the police station, defendant asked to speak with his mother, who was called and came down to the station. Defendant was also allowed to speak with his girl friend prior to confessing. Kline denied threatening or coercing defendant in any way to make a statement. Defendant did not display any signs of nervousness or anxiety at any time. Defendant was at the police station two to three hours prior to his arrest. Defendant was given lunch at the police station.

The State next called Sergeant Larry Patton to testify. Patton’s testimony was generally consistent with and confirmed Kline’s. Patton testified that, the first time they were at defendant’s apartment, defendant denied any involvement in the burglary. Patton explained that eggs and milk and other groceries had been stolen and that it was likely that the perpetrator would have such items in his refrigerator. Defendant denied having such items in his refrigerator, but consented to Patton looking.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
562 N.E.2d 1158, 204 Ill. App. 3d 1019, 150 Ill. Dec. 355, 1990 Ill. App. LEXIS 1655, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-lucy-illappct-1990.