People v. McCloskey

270 N.E.2d 126, 2 Ill. App. 3d 892
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedDecember 21, 1971
Docket70-190
StatusPublished
Cited by30 cases

This text of 270 N.E.2d 126 (People v. McCloskey) 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. McCloskey, 270 N.E.2d 126, 2 Ill. App. 3d 892 (Ill. Ct. App. 1971).

Opinion

2 Ill. App.3d 892 (1971)
270 N.E.2d 126

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, Plaintiff-Appellee,
v.
JAMES EARL McCLOSKEY, Defendant-Appellee.

No. 70-190.

Illinois Appellate Court — Second District.

Original Opinion, May 24, 1971.
Supplemental Opinion, September 14, 1971.
Additional Supplemental Opinion, December 21, 1971.

*893 E. Roger Horsky and Ralph Ruebner, of Defender Project, of Elgin, for appellant.

William Ketcham, State's Attorney, of Geneva, (W. Ben Morgan, and Leo Wotan, Jr., Assistant State's Attorneys, of Elgin, of counsel,) for the People.

Judgment reversed.

ORIGINAL OPINION

Mr. PRESIDING JUSTICE THOMAS J. MORAN delivered the opinion of the court:

Defendant was convicted of the possession and sale of narcotics. On appeal, he contends that (1) the court erred in refusing to permit him to elicit a witness' place of residence on cross-examination; (2) certain testimony was admitted without a proper admonishment to the jury; (3) the court improperly refused defendant's entrapment instruction; (4) the court permitted the prosecutor to make a prejudicial statement in his closing argument; (5) the court failed to instruct the jury on the mental state required for conviction; and (6) the sentence imposed is excessive and tantamount to cruel and unusual punishment.

Three Illinois Bureau of Investigation agents and an Aurora policeman conducted a controlled purchase of marijuana from defendant. One agent drove an unmarked automobile to defendant's place of employment. There, the agent, who used the name "Steve" and who was shabbily dressed and wearing a goatee, met a man named Dormer from whom he had previously purchased narcotics. This man was unaware of "Steve's" identity. Defendant, who was unknown to the agent, then arrived. Dormer refused to introduce the two. All three left in the agent's car and drove to a supermarket parking lot where the agent gave Dormer $50 in pre-recorded funds. Dormer added $10 of his own and handed the money to defendant who left the vehicle, disappeared from sight, and returned shortly with two bags of marijuana. The agent complained that he had not received $50 worth of the narcotic; defendant agreed, again left the automobile and came back with more marijuana. The three returned to the factory and separated.

The other two IBI agents and the Aurora policeman had followed the *894 undercover agent to the factory. When "Steve", Dormer, and defendant left the factory to obtain the marijuana, one IBI agent and the Aurora policeman followed. The other IBI agent, Pariser, remained near the factory. Agent Pariser's only other connection with the case was that he witnessed the serial numbers of the pre-recorded money which was never recovered.

During its case-in-chief, the State introduced the testimony of the three IBI agents and the Aurora policeman, Agent Pariser being the last to testify. The defendant did not cross-examine the Aurora policeman or the IBI agent who followed the defendant to the parking lot where the transaction took place. He did examine the IBI agent who made the purchase, but at no time did he request his home address. When Pariser was offered for examination, he was asked to spell his last name, his first name, whether it was his real name and then he was asked his residence address. The State's objection to the last question was sustained. Defendant moved for a mistrial based upon Smith v. Illinois (1968), 390 U.S. 129, 19 L.Ed.2d 956, 88 S.Ct. 748, and People v. Gonzales (1970), 120 Ill. App.2d 406; app. den. 43 Ill.2d 397. This motion was denied.

Without the presence of the jury, the State attempted to make a record concerning the personal safety of Pariser. Suffice to say that the record on this point was insufficient and will not be considered in determination of the appeal.

Defendant's first contention is based upon the Smith case. There the Court, at pp. 130-131, stated:

"* * * [O]nly this witness and the petitioner testified to the crucial events inside the restaurant, and the petitioner's version of those events was entirely different. The only real question at the trial, therefore, was the relative credibility of the petitioner and this prosecution witness. * * *
In the present case there was not, to be sure, a complete denial of all right of cross-examination. But the petitioner was denied the right to ask the principal prosecution witness either his name or where he lived, although the witness admitted that the name he had first given was false. Yet when the credibility of a witness is in issue, the very starting point in `exposing falsehood and bringing out the truth' through cross-examination must necessarily be to ask the witness who he is and where he lives. The witness' name and address open countless avenues of in-court examination and out-of-court investigation. To forbid this most rudimentary inquiry at the threshold is effectively to emasculate the right of cross-examination itself."

Subsequent Federal and Illinois cases have considered Smith. In United States v. Teller (7th Cir.1969), 412 F.2d 374, 380, the witness, *895 Washington, during cross-examination, was asked "his present address"; the government objected and the objection was sustained by the court. On appeal, defense argued that failure to give the present address was a flagrant abuse of his right to cross-examination, even though the witness testified that he was staying at a motel at the government's expense at the time of trial. He further testified to where he lived 4 months before trial, to all of his past history on the use of narcotics, to living with a woman and to burglary and arson convictions. The court said:

"* * * We think that neither Alford v. United States, 282 U.S. 687, 75 L.Ed. 624, 51 S.Ct. 218 nor Smith v. Illinois, 390 U.S. 129, 19 L.Ed.2d 956, 88 S.Ct. 748 * * * requires a reversal of this conviction. Smith does not per se require a new trial merely because the district court sustained an objection to a question seeking to elicit Washington's address. Smith requires a reversal only where the lack of a witness's name and address denies the defendant an opportunity to effectively cross-examine a witness. When this happens, a defendant is denied his Sixth Amendment right to confrontation. However, the initial question is whether the defendant was denied effective cross-examination. It is clear from the recital of Washington's testimony that the district court did not unduly limit cross-examination of Washington's past record."

Similarly, United States v. Lawler (7th Cir.1969), 413 F.2d 622, 627; United States v. Lee (7th Cir.1969), 413 F.2d 910, 915; and United States v. Marti, (2d Cir.1970), 421 F.2d 1263, 1265-1266, interpret Smith

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
270 N.E.2d 126, 2 Ill. App. 3d 892, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-mccloskey-illappct-1971.