People v. Malone

354 N.E.2d 911, 41 Ill. App. 3d 914, 1976 Ill. App. LEXIS 3044
Appellate Court of Illinois·Decided September 13, 1976·No. No. 75-331·Published·Cited by 12 cases

Opinion

Mr. PRESIDING JUSTICE GUILD

delivered the opinion of the court:

This is the third appeal involving this defendant. In the first appeal, People v. Malone (1974), 18 Ill. App. 3d 397, 309 N.E.2d 325, this court reversed the revocation of probation of the defendant and remanded for the reason that testimony resulting in his revocation of probation was based upon hearsay. Attention is directed to the facts in that case. Sufficeth to say, defendant was originally convicted of aggravated incest with his stepdaughter, placed on probation and, with the court’s permission, moved to the State of Mississippi. It was alleged in that case that the defendant had sexually molested his own 11-year-old daughter and as a result he was incarcerated. He escaped from jail but was captured and returned to Kane County where his probation was revoked upon the basis of his alleged incestuous conduct. In People v. Malone (1976), 38 Ill. App. 3d 157, 347 N.E.2d 862, we considered the post-conviction hearing of the defendant who contended that the aggravated incest statute was unconstitutional. On the authority of People v. Grammer (1976), 62 Ill. 2d 393, 342 N.E.2d 371, the judgment of the trial court dismissing the petition was affirmed.

As indicated above, the revocation proceedings were reversed and remanded to the trial court and the mandate was filed in the Circuit Court of Kane County on October 31, 1974. On November 8, 1974, the defendant filed a motion for substitution of judge pursuant to section 114 — 5(a) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1973, ch. 38, par. 114—5(a)). On November 19, 1974 the State’s Attorney of Kane County filed a second petition to revoke the defendant’s probation, alleging that the defendant had escaped from the lawful custody of Tishimingo County, Mississippi, on November 29,1971. On December 3, 1974, defendant filed an additional motion for substitution of judge, pursuant to section 114 — 5(c) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1973, ch. 38, par. 114—5(c)). On December 10,1974, a hearing was held on both motions for substitution of judge and both motions were denied by the trial court, who was the same judge who had originally revoked defendant’s probation. On December 20, 1974, a hearing was held on the second petition to revoke probation. At that time the defendant filed a motion to dismiss the second petition alleging that the proceeding was a violation of due process because the basis for the revocation of probation had occurred almost three years prior to the petition for revocation. The court, following arguments, denied this motion. The State then offered no proof as to the alleged incestuous conduct of the defendant in Mississippi and the original petition for revocation of probation on that basis was dismissed. In support of the petition for revocation based upon defendant’s escape from jail, the State offered into evidence a deposition of the sheriff of Tishimingo County taken on December 10, 1974, which was admitted over objection. Based upon this deposition, the probation of the defendant was again revoked.

In this appeal defendant has raised four issues. One, that the trial court erred in summarily denying defendant’s motion for substitution of judge for cause; two, that the court erred in denying defendant’s motion to dismiss the second petition to revoke probation based upon the escape of the defendant where the State waited almost three years to charge the commission of the escape as a basis for revocation; three, that the trial court erred in admitting the evidence deposition over defendant’s objection; and four, that the sentence imposed upon the defendant is improper under the pertinent provisions of the Unified Code of Corrections.

Considering the first contention of the defendant, that the court erred in denying defendant’s motion for substitution of judge, the defendant has relied upon the provisions of section 114 — 5 the Code of Criminal Procedure (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1973, eh. 38, par. 114 — 5(a) or (c)). Defendant concedes that this statute refers only to substitution of judge at trial. In support of this contention defendant has cited People v. Wilson (1967), 37 Ill. 2d 617, 230 N.E.2d 194. In Wilson the Supreme Court held that, under the facts of that case, the defendant was in fact entitled to a change of venue for a post-conviction hearing. The court pointed out that a post-conviction hearing is the review of an existing judgment, is civil in character and is primarily to review and determine the existence of alleged deprivation of constitutional rights. The court further stated:

“In the present case defendant alleges certain in camera conversations between his attorney and the trial judge which may be material to a determination of his rights. It would seem that either the trial judge would be a material witness to these proceedings, or would have knowledge de hors the record of the truth or falsity of these allegations.” 37 Ill. 2d 617, 621, 230 N.E.2d 194, 197.

The issue of substitution of judges was presented in People v. Loden (1975), 31 Ill. App. 3d 612, 615, 334 N.E.2d 337, 340, where this court held that a post-conviction hearing was not a criminal proceeding and that, therefore, a motion for substitution of judge was not granted as a matter of right but was within the discretion of the trial court. We further held that:

«o o « in pe0pie u. Wilson it was pointed out that where possible prejudice was shown by the affidavit or if the judge was a potential witness in the post-conviction hearing, then the failure to recuse himself constitutes error.”

In so holding we followed the dictates of Wilson, however, in the case at bar, we do not find that the same is applicable to revocation of probation proceedings, nor do we find People v. Washington (1967), 38 Ill. 2d 446, 451, 232 N.E.2d 738, cited by defendant, to be in point. In Washington the Supreme Court merely found that, “ ‘either the trial judge would be a material witness ° ° ° or would have knowledge de hors the record of the truth or falsity’ of the allegations of [defendant’s] petition,” where defendant’s petition alleged misrepresentation of the trial judge as to the sentence to be imposed and the prosecutor’s unfulfilled promises of a reduced sentence. Under those circumstances the cause was transferred to another judge for hearing on defendant’s post-conviction hearing. That is not the situation in the case before us. In further support of defendant’s position, defendant has cited People v. Holmes (1971), 1 Ill. App. 3d 28, 30, 272 N.E.2d 254, 256. The court there stated:

“It is argued that the judge who grants probation should not hear evidence of alleged violations and determine revocation. It is the theory that such a judge is so disappointed at the failure of his judgment that he cannot achieve a fair hearing.

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People v. Malone, 354 N.E.2d 911, 41 Ill. App. 3d 914, 1976 Ill. App. LEXIS 3044 (Ill. Ct. App. 1976).

354 N.E.2d 911 (People v. Malone) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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