People v. Mondhink

551 N.E.2d 755, 194 Ill. App. 3d 806, 141 Ill. Dec. 568, 1990 Ill. App. LEXIS 257
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedFebruary 23, 1990
Docket5-88-0360
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 551 N.E.2d 755 (People v. Mondhink) 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. Mondhink, 551 N.E.2d 755, 194 Ill. App. 3d 806, 141 Ill. Dec. 568, 1990 Ill. App. LEXIS 257 (Ill. Ct. App. 1990).

Opinion

JUSTICE CHAPMAN

delivered the opinion of the court;

Defendant, Gary Mondhink, was convicted of driving while license revoked (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1987, ch. 95^2, par. 6 — 303(d)) and sentenced to three years’ imprisonment after a jury trial. Defendant appeals from the judgment and sentence of the circuit court of Montgomery County.

Section 6 — 303(d) of the Illinois Vehicle Code (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1987, ch. 95V2, par. 6 — 303(d)): “[a]ny person convicted of a second or subsequent violation of this Section shall be guilty of a Class 4 felony if the original revocation or suspension was for a violation of Section 11— 401 [leaving the scene of an accident involving death or personal injuries] or 11 — 501 [driving under the influence] of this Code, or a similar provision of a local ordinance, or a violation of Section 9 — 3 of the Criminal Code of 1961, as amended, relating to the offense of reckless homicide.” Defendant Mondhink had prior convictions for driving while under the influence of alcohol and for driving while license revoked. At trial, over defendant’s objection, the State introduced as evidence the information charging defendant with driving under the influence of alcohol, defendant’s jury waiver and plea of guilty to the charge, the judgment and sentence order on the plea of guilty to the charge, and the order of revocation certified by the Secretary of State. Also admitted into evidence over defendant’s objection were the previous information charging defendant with driving while license revoked, defendant’s jury waiver and plea of guilty, and the judgment and sentence order on the plea of guilty to the charge of driving while license revoked. On appeal defendant argues that the trial court erred in admitting such evidence. Defendant also argues that it was error for the court to give jury instructions which included references to defendant’s prior convictions.

In People v. Smith (1987), 162 Ill. App. 3d 739, 516 N.E.2d 335, the defendant was convicted of violating section 6 — 303(d) of the Illinois Vehicle Code. On appeal he argued that he was denied a fair trial because the trial court improperly admitted evidence of defendant’s previous convictions for driving while license revoked and driving under the influence of alcohol. In Smith we held that in a conviction for driving while license revoked under section 6 — 303(d), the prior conviction for driving while license revoked and driving under the influence are elements of the enhanced offense and may be proved before the trier of fact. Smith, 162 Ill. App. 3d at 743, 516 N.E.2d at 337.

Defendant cites the following cases in support of his argument that the only issues that required a jury determination were that defendant was driving a motor vehicle on a public highway and that defendant’s license was revoked: People v. Turner (1976), 64 Ill. 2d 183, 354 N.E.2d 897; People v. Johnson (1983), 115 Ill. App. 3d 987, 451 N.E.2d 28; People v. Younge (1980), 83 Ill. App. 3d 305, 404 N.E.2d 415; People v. Papproth (1977), 56 Ill. App. 3d 683, 371 N.E.2d 1097; and People v. Osborne (1967), 78 Ill. App. 2d 132, 223 N.E.2d 243. Defendant is correct that these cases followed the rule that the only two factors needed to establish a violation of the offense of driving while license revoked or suspended are that the defendant was driving a motor vehicle on a public highway and, that at the time, the defendant’s driver’s license was suspended or revoked. We fail to recognize how these cases support defendant’s argument, however, that admission of evidence of defendant’s previous convictions was error. On the contrary, in Osborne the court held that the admission of the documentary evidence to show the defendant’s prior convictions was proper. The court went on to state:

“The fact of suspension is one of the essential elements of the offense as charged and must be proved by the People. It is a matter of common knowledge that suspension of a license to operate a motor vehicle must depend upon previous misconduct in the operation of a motor vehicle and we are not prepared to hold that spelling out the details of such previous misconduct in the proof of suspension should in and of itself constitute reversible error.” Osborne, 78 Ill. App. 2d at 136, 223 N.E.2d at 246.

The other cases cited by defendant as authority for his position do not hold that the proof required to establish that defendant was driving while his license was suspended or revoked may not include evidence of his prior convictions. As we have already determined such evidence is properly admissible to prove the elements of the enhanced offense of driving while license revoked, we do not find the cases cited by defendant persuasive.

Likewise, reference to defendant’s prior convictions in the jury instructions was not error. The instructions to which defendant directs our attention read:

“A person commits the offense of Driving While License Revoked when he drives a motor vehicle upon any highway of this State at a time when his driver’s license or permit or privilege to do so is revoked, and he has previously been convicted of the offense of Driving While License Revoked and the original revocation of his driver’s license was for a violation of Section 11 — 501 of the Illinois Vehicle Code which is the offense of Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol.”
“To sustain the charge of Driving While License Revoked, the State must prove the following propositions:
First: That the Defendant drove a motor vehicle upon a highway of this State; and
Second: That the Defendant did so at a time when his driver’s license was revoked; and
Third: That the original revocation of Defendant’s driver’s license was for a violation of Section 11 — 501 of the Illinois Vehicle Code which is the offense of Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol; and
Fourth: That the defendant has a previous conviction for the offense of Driving While License Revoked.
If you find from your consideration of all the evidence that each one of these propositions has been proved beyond a reasonable doubt, you should find the defendant guilty.
If you find from your consideration of all the evidence that any one of these propositions has not been proved beyond a reasonable doubt, you should find the defendant not guilty.”

Considering the facts of this particular case, the jury had to find that defendant had the prior convictions in order to satisfy the elements of the offense of driving while license revoked and the instructions properly set forth the elements. If defendant wished to have the jury instructed as to the limited purpose of the prior conviction evidence, it was incumbent upon him to tender such an instruction.

Ordinarily, in order for a defendant to complain about the absence of an instruction he must have tendered an instruction of his own.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
551 N.E.2d 755, 194 Ill. App. 3d 806, 141 Ill. Dec. 568, 1990 Ill. App. LEXIS 257, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-mondhink-illappct-1990.