People v. Marshall

550 N.E.2d 21, 193 Ill. App. 3d 493, 140 Ill. Dec. 539, 1990 Ill. App. LEXIS 139
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedJanuary 18, 1990
DocketNo. 2—87—1076
StatusPublished

This text of 550 N.E.2d 21 (People v. Marshall) 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. Marshall, 550 N.E.2d 21, 193 Ill. App. 3d 493, 140 Ill. Dec. 539, 1990 Ill. App. LEXIS 139 (Ill. Ct. App. 1990).

Opinion

PRESIDING JUSTICE UNVERZAGT

delivered the opinion of the court:

Defendant, Phil Marshall, was found guilty of five counts of aggravated criminal sexual assault (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1985, ch. 38, par. 12— 14(b)(1)) and one count of aggravated criminal sexual abuse (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1985, ch. 38, par. 12 — 16(d)) following a bench trial in the circuit court of Du Page County. He was sentenced to five 15-year terms of imprisonment for the aggravated criminal sexual assaults and a five-year term of imprisonment for the aggravated criminal sexual abuse, all of which were ordered to be served concurrently. Defendant appeals from these convictions.

Defendant raises one issue, contending that “where the defendant was arrested in a hotel room in front of two operational video cameras, the decision of the police to stop the recording at the commencement of the arrest, together with the prosecutor’s failure to offer testimony from all of the police officers present inside the room at the arrest and the defendant’s later assertions of physical and mental abuse, rendered the lower court’s finding of compliance with the ‘material witness’ rule against the manifest weight of the evidence.” We find insufficient merit in his argument to warrant reversal and a remand.

It is unnecessary, in view of the issue raised, to discuss at length the evidence adduced at trial. The offenses of which defendant was convicted involved a 12-year-old male complainant. Two of the offenses, on October 8 and 29, 1986, were acts of fellatio involving defendant and the complainant during which defendant threatened the complainant with a gun. The remaining four offenses, on October 11, 17, 21, and 23, 1986, were acts of fellatio involving defendant and the complainant during which no weapon was used. The evidence of these offenses came primarily from the testimony of the complainant and statements made by defendant to police officers, with some supplementation by corroborative testimony from other witnesses.

The evidence surrounding defendant’s arrest and interrogation, which was adduced at a pretrial suppression hearing, is of more importance with respect to the issue raised. There is little dispute regarding the events preceding defendant’s arrest, which the police videotaped.

Defendant was directed to a room, which was part of a suite, in the Oak Brook Marriott Hotel the evening of November 19, 1986, on the pretense that he and the complainant, who accompanied him, were to make a pornographic film. Undercover officer James Turner introduced defendant to Officer Robert Thomas, who played the part of the producer of the film. Special agent Arthur Sebek acted as the cameraman for the film. To make their story more believable, the police had set up a video camera and a video recorder loaded with tape, which were ready to record but were never turned on. Unknown to defendant, in an adjoining room of the suite, there was another loaded video recorder and a video camera trained on defendant and

Thomas through a one-way mirror.

After defendant and the complainant arrived, Thomas spoke to defendant, and the hidden camera recorded the conversation. Defendant described sexual acts he and the complainant had performed and the sexual acts they planned to perform for the film. Turner took the complainant into the hallway. Defendant stripped to his underpants and lay facedown on a bed out of range of the hidden camera preparatory to the start of filming. After defendant was so positioned, at least six officers including at least one with a drawn gun rushed him and placed defendant under arrest. Right after the police rushed defendant, the hidden camera was turned off, and with respect to what occurred after the camera was turned off, the testimony of the witnesses was divergent.

At the suppression hearing, defendant testified in his own behalf; and in addition to Thomas, Turner and Sebek, Lieutenant Daniel Mc-Devitt, Supervisor John Meduga, Officer Ralph Billingslea, and acting Elmhurst police chief John Milner testified for the State. Defendant testified that, when he was lying facedown on the bed dressed only in his undershorts, someone suddenly put hands on his shoulder, pulled him over, and stuck a gun in his face. McDevitt then came over and stuck a gun in defendant’s face and said, “If you move, [obscenity], I’ll blow your head off.” None of the State’s witnesses recalled any officer making this statement, although they did testify that defendant was told not to move and that McDevitt told defendant to put his “[obscenity] hands” on his head.

Defendant testified that there were several police officers pointing guns at him when he was turned over. The State’s witnesses testified only to McDevitt’s gun being drawn, and that gun was reholstered after defendant was handcuffed. Moreover, according to the State’s witnesses, McDevitt had announced his office before turning defendant over, while defendant did not recall hearing anyone identify them as police.

Defendant testified he was handcuffed in the back so tightly he had scars that took six months to heal and he was so frightened that he did not complain at the time, but he later received some ointment for them from a nurse at the jail. The State’s witnesses denied that defendant was handcuffed any more tightly than usual.

According to defendant, he was pulled up to a standing position by his arms, which were handcuffed behind him. The police took pictures of him, laughed at him, and made insulting statements, calling him a “geek,” “faggot,” and “eutie pie.” Someone said to shoot him if he moved. There were 15 to 20 people in the room, including a woman defendant recognized as a Bensenville police officer. The State’s witnesses denied the police taking pictures of defendant, or verbally abusing him. They also testified that many fewer people, around six, were in the room, and none recalled a woman police officer being present.

Defendant testified that the police eventually uncuffed him and allowed him to dress, after which he was recuffed in front and seated at a table. Thomas pulled out a form (which was a waiver of Miranda rights form) and told defendant they wanted him to sign it. Defendant refused. Thomas gave defendant a pen, pressed his finger into defendant’s collar bone, and told defendant they wanted him to sign the form. Defendant complied without reading it. Turner’s and Bellingslea’s signatures as witnesses were already on the form when defendant signed. According to the State’s witnesses, Miranda warnings were properly given, the police did not in way any compel defendant to sign the waiver, and Turner’s and Bellingslea’s signatures as witnesses were not placed on the form until after defendant signed it.

Defendant testified that Thomas asked him about dealers and manufacturers of pornography. Defendant denied involvement in pornography, and Thomas called him a liar and offered to “cut a deal.” According to the State’s witnesses, the police only asked defendant for personal background information at the hotel and did not substantively question him until later at the police station.

According to defendant, a black man found a wallet in defendant’s gym bag, saw a photograph of defendant’s son, and accused defendant of playing with little boys. They found defendant’s keys, had defendant select the one for his car, and the man ran out the door with the keys.

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Bluebook (online)
550 N.E.2d 21, 193 Ill. App. 3d 493, 140 Ill. Dec. 539, 1990 Ill. App. LEXIS 139, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-marshall-illappct-1990.