People v. Orr

231 N.E.2d 424, 38 Ill. 2d 417, 1967 Ill. LEXIS 322
CourtIllinois Supreme Court
DecidedNovember 30, 1967
Docket40501
StatusPublished
Cited by41 cases

This text of 231 N.E.2d 424 (People v. Orr) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Illinois Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Orr, 231 N.E.2d 424, 38 Ill. 2d 417, 1967 Ill. LEXIS 322 (Ill. 1967).

Opinion

Mr. Justice Underwood

delivered the opinion of the court:

In this case as in In re Urbasek, No. 40411, decided this term, a juvenile adjudged delinquent seeks to raise substantial questions as to the effect of the decision of the United States Supreme Court in In re Application of Gault, 387 U.S. 1, 18 L. Ed. 2d 527, 87 S. Ct. 1428, upon proceedings under the Illinois Juvenile Court Act (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1965, chap. 37, pars. 701 — 1 through 708 — 4) involving minors alleged to be delinquent. While respondent contends the Miranda rules relating to confessions and the constitutional and statutory provisions regarding bail in criminal cases are now applicable to delinquency proceedings, we find it unnecessary, for the reasons hereinafter set forth, to rule upon those issues.

Following an October, 1966, delinquency hearing in the circuit court of Cook County, Lee Orr (herein referred to as respondent), then 15 years old, was adjudged delinquent and committed to the Illinois Youth Commission based on a finding that he was guilty of involuntary manslaughter. He contends on appeal that his oral statement was admitted into evidence in violation of his constitutional rights and the notice provisions of the Juvenile Court Act, and that this Act was further violated when the trial court based its finding of delinquency solely on his uncorroborated statement. In addition, he seeks reversal of the order of the trial court denying supersedeas bond or bail pending appeal.

This case arose out of the death of Jerry L. Harvey from a gunshot wound occurring on September 24, 1966, at approximately 2:3o A.M. Respondent was arrested some 12 hours later at the apartment of his grandmother, Mrs. Irene Morgan. While the testimony regarding the circumstances of the arrest is not entirely consistent, it seems reasonably clear that officers Sherry and Krai, who arrested Orr, had been acquainted with him for several years through their work with boys in his area of Chicago. Respondent’s mother apparently was living in Denver, Colorado. There is no mention in the record of a father. Respondent’s guardian, at least de facto, was his grandmother with whom he and his sister lived in the grandmother’s apartment.

Officer James Sherry testified that "We went to Lee Orr’s home * * * and informed him what we were doing there.” While respondent apparently knew why the officers wanted him, and Officer Sherry so testified, there is no specific proof that respondent was formally told that he was being arrested or the reason therefor. Officer Sherry also said that the grandmother, who was present at the time of the arrest, was advised as to what was occurring. While the officer acknowledged that they did not advise her that respondent was being taken into custody, the grandmother testified she knew the boy was in custody but did not know where he was being taken. The officer also testified that Mrs. Morgan was aware her grandson was being arrested since the boy told her not to worry because “these fellows are friends of mine, and I’ll be back.” Officer Sherry further stated that Mrs. Morgan was again informed by telephone what was occurring after they arrived at the police station with respondent, that she told them she would come down to the station as soon as she found someone to care for a young child who was in the apartment, and that she arrived at the station an hour after the arrest.

This officer further testified that when they were walking down the apartment steps with respondent, Orr told them he was glad to see them and that, on the way to the station, respondent .said “I tried to get in touch with you and your partner, and I got scared off. This has been on my chest since it happened. I want to get it off.” The officer then related respondent’s oral statement which, according to the officer, followed these remarks. The substance of this statement is that respondent met decedent on Cermak Road and went drinking with him, and that respondent shot Harvey while attempting to shoot over his head and frighten him into abandoning his idea that the two of them commit a robbery. Respondent was not advised that he had a right to remain silent prior to making his oral statement, but officer Sherry testified that the statement was not preceded by any questioning.

Officer Otto Krai, the other arresting officer, testified he rang the apartment bell from downstairs, identified himself and that respondent told them to come up to the apartment. The officers then walked into the apartment and placed handcuffs on respondent in his grandmother’s presence. He was certain that Mrs. Morgan saw him place the handcuffs on respondent, although he did not tell her they were arresting Orr in connection with a murder investigation. Krai further testified that he asked Mrs. Morgan if she could come down to the station with them and that she replied she was not able to do so at that time. The officers agreed that Orr made his statement in the squad car on the way to the police station. Krai stated that about 10 to 15 minutes after respondent arrived at the first police station the boy was taken to a second one where he was allowed to call Mrs. Morgan, who respondent said was responsible for him, that respondent notified her he was down at 943 West Maxwell Street in the Homicide Section, and that she arrived on the scene 45 minutes to an hour later.

Mrs. Morgan testified that after one of the two officers entered and walked through her apartment, she asked him what he was doing, but that he simply turned and left and never did explain what was happening. She denied seeing handcuffs on her grandson, but admitted that she knew respondent was in custody although she was unaware of the reason. She further stated that “I made two or three calls and I called the police station, and they told me to hold on. They [Ac] this boy called me.”

The State produced two witnesses to corroborate respondent’s confession. A counselor from the Better Boys Foundation, Arthur Christopher Williams, testified that respondent, who had been drinking, came to see him between 8 and 9 P.M. on the night of the shooting and told him: “I got a problem. * * * I got a guy outside, he want [Ac] me to go stick up somebody, and you can see the shape I’m in. I don’t want to go out messing around. * * * This cat got a shot gun out there. * * * If you go out and take it away from him, maybe he’ll leave me alone. He’s been following me around all evening.” Williams stated that he saw a boy standing outside but did not see a gun, and added that, pursuant to his advice, Orr agreed to go home. Williams said that he saw respondent again at about 9:00-9:15 that evening and that Orr then told him he was still with the same boy and asked Williams to take him home. Williams stated that no one was with Orr at this time, but said he saw a boy standing across the street. He further stated that he also saw Orr after the shooting, that Orr was scared on this occasion, and that, although respondent did not mention the shooting, he said.he was looking for Officers Krai and Sherry.

John Williams testified that the following morning Orr told him he had put a shotgun under Williams’s mattress, but did not explain why he had done so. He stated that Orr also said he had been with a boy from “somewhere around Cermak” and had taken the gun from him, but that Orr did not admit shooting the boy.

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Bluebook (online)
231 N.E.2d 424, 38 Ill. 2d 417, 1967 Ill. LEXIS 322, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-orr-ill-1967.