People v. Martin

2023 IL App (1st) 220252, 229 N.E.3d 882
Procedural entryThis page is a short order in People v. Martin. Read the opinion of the Court — 2023 IL App (4th) 230826
Appellate Court of Illinois·Decided October 16, 2023·No. 1-22-0252·Published

Opinion

2023 IL App (1st) 220252

FIRST DIVISION October 16, 2023

IN THE APPELLATE COURT OF ILLINOIS FIRST DISTRICT

No. 1-22-0252

) THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF ILLINOS, ) Appeal from the ) Circuit Court of Plaintiff-Appellee, ) Cook County. ) v. ) No. 18 CR 60203 ) JONATHAN MARTIN, ) Honorable ) Timothy J. Joyce, Defendant-Appellant. ) Judge Presiding.

PRESIDING JUSTICE FITZGERALD SMITH delivered the judgment of the court, with opinion. Justices Lavin and Coghlan concurred in the judgment and opinion.

OPINION

¶1 Following an evidentiary hearing, the Cook County circuit court committed the 53-year-

old defendant, Jonathan Martin, to the custody of the Department of Human Services (DHS)

pursuant to section 104-25(g) of the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963 (Criminal Code) (725

ILCS 5/104-25(g) (West 2018)) for a period of seven years, not to exceed August 28, 2025. On

appeal, the defendant challenges the length of his commitment. He asserts that under the 2009

amendments to section 104-25(g) of the Criminal Code, section 3-6-3 of the Unified Code of No. 1-22-0252

Corrections (Corrections Code) (hereinafter the truth in sentencing statute) (730 ILCS 5/3-6-3

(West 2018)) applies to determining the length of a civil commitment for a defendant previously

found unfit to stand trial and “not not guilty” of the crime charged. He therefore asserts that he

was entitled to serve only 85% of his seven-year commitment term. For the following reasons, we

affirm.

¶2 I. BACKGROUND

¶3 On June 14, 2018, the defendant, who has a history of mental illness, was arrested and

subsequently charged with five counts of aggravated battery (720 ILCS 5/12-3.05(a)(1), (4), (c),

(d)(1), (f)(1) (West 2018)) for throwing a brick at the 71-year-old victim, Virginia Brennan, and

striking her in the back.

¶4 On August 28, 2018, the circuit court held a fitness hearing to determine the defendant’s

fitness to stand trial. At that hearing, the State offered the stipulated testimony of a licensed clinical

psychologist, Dr. Erick Neu. If called to testify, Dr. Neu would have stated that, based on his

evaluation, the defendant was disorganized, delusional, paranoid, and unable to understand the

nature and purpose of the proceedings against him. It was Dr. Neu’s opinion, however, that the

defendant could be restored to fitness within one year. Based on this stipulation, the circuit court

found the defendant unfit to stand trial and remanded him to the custody of DHS for treatment for

the statutory period of one year pursuant to section 104-16 of the Criminal Code (725 ILCS 5/104-

16 (West 2018)).

¶5 On September 5, 2019, the circuit court held a discharge hearing (id. § 104-25(a)). At that

hearing, the parties stipulated that, if called to testify, the defendant’s treating psychiatrist, Dr.

Timothy Olenek, would state that the defendant suffers from schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type,

and that despite his compliance with psychotropic medications and treatment, he remains unfit to

2 No. 1-22-0252

stand trial and is unlikely to attain fitness.

¶6 The victim, Virginia, next testified that on June 14, 2018, she was driving her car with her

husband in the passenger seat in the alley between North Lowell and Kostner Avenues. Virginia

stopped her car at the crosswalk located at the mouth of the alley because she noticed the defendant

standing on the sidewalk. When Virginia motioned the defendant to cross, he just stood there

angrily talking to himself. When Virginia and her husband continued to motion to the defendant,

urging him to cross the sidewalk, he “gave [them] the finger” and then threw a brick at the

windshield of their car, shattering the glass. As Virginia’s husband called the police, Virginia

exited the car and followed the defendant, asking him why he had thrown the brick at them. As

Virginia followed the defendant, another woman driving along the street yelled at the defendant:

“[H]ey buddy, drop the brick.” The defendant continued down the street, but when the woman’s

vehicle stopped at the next light, he threw the brick at the trunk of her car. The brick bounced back,

and when Virginia, who was still following the defendant, saw the defendant pick it up again and

turn toward her, she started running because she “knew” she was in danger. As she ran, the

defendant threw the brick at her, hitting her back. Virginia nearly fell in the middle of the street

but crawled to the parkway, where several parkgoers approached to help. She was subsequently

transported by ambulance to Swedish Covenant Hospital, where she was treated for a fracture of

the L4 vertebrae.

¶7 Based on this evidence, the circuit court found the defendant “not not guilty” of aggravated

battery pursuant to section 104-25(d) of the Criminal Code (id. § 104-25(d)). The court further

found that the defendant continued to remain unfit to stand trial and that there was no substantial

probability that he would regain fitness within the statutory period of one year. The court therefore

ordered that the defendant undergo an extended-term treatment (of 15 months) until December 5,

3 No. 1-22-0252

2020. See id. § 104-25(d)(1).

¶8 On June 7, 2021, upon the State’s motion, the circuit court held a civil commitment hearing

(id. § 104-25(g)(2)), at which two expert psychiatrists testified regarding the defendant’s mental

state. Dr. Timothy Olenek, who treated the defendant from 2018 to 2020, first opined that the

defendant remained unfit to stand trial and in all probability was not likely to become fit and that

he constituted a threat to public safety. Dr. Olenek reiterated that the defendant was diagnosed

with schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type, and explained that this was a chronic mental illness,

which includes mood swings, psychotic episodes, and disorganized and delusional thinking. Dr.

Olenek stated that prior to his current admission for treatment, between 1993 and 2014, the

defendant had been previously admitted to DHS nine times. Dr. Olenek acknowledged that, during

his current treatment at DHS, the defendant has exhibited no aggression and has been compliant

with medication. He stated, however, that the defendant refuses to partake in any group therapy

and to acknowledge that he suffers from a mental illness. In fact, the defendant “still remains very

paranoid” and thinks that he was the victim of the crime. Based on the defendant’s lack of

community support, Dr. Olenek opined that, if the defendant was released and stopped taking his

antipsychotic medication, he would relapse.

¶9 The defendant’s current treating psychiatrist, Dr. Syed Hussain, testified consistently with

Dr. Olenek. He opined that the defendant remained unfit to stand trial and was unlikely to attain

fitness because he does not understand either the charges against him or the seriousness of the

crime and the injuries that he caused the victim. Dr. Hussain further opined that if the defendant

were to be released and to stop taking his antipsychotic medication he would “most certainly”

relapse because he lacks any community support. According to Dr. Hussain, the defendant poses

a serious danger to the public at large and to any individuals with whom he comes into contact

4 No. 1-22-0252

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People v. Martin, 2023 IL App (1st) 220252, 229 N.E.3d 882 (Ill. Ct. App. 2023).

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