People v. Polansky

287 N.E.2d 747, 6 Ill. App. 3d 773
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedAugust 9, 1972
Docket71-84
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 287 N.E.2d 747 (People v. Polansky) 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. Polansky, 287 N.E.2d 747, 6 Ill. App. 3d 773 (Ill. Ct. App. 1972).

Opinion

Mr. JUSTICE SCOTT

delivered the opinion of the court:

This is an appeal from a conviction of the defendant, Frank Polansky, Jr., after trial by jury in the circuí court of Henry County for the offenses of burglary and aggravated battery. The defendant was sentenced to the penitentiary for a term of not less than 3 nor more than 10 years on both charges and the sentences to be served concurrently.

The factual situation which resulted in the defendant’s conviction occurred on September 29, 1970. At approximately 1:00 o’clock A.M. on that date the custodian of the Kewanee High School heard loud noises emanating from the school’s gymnasium. An investigation of these sounds led the custodian into one of the school’s rest rooms and as he entered this room he was kicked, stomped and received injuries that necessitated his admission into the hospital, where he remained until October 1, 1970.

Prior to his admission to the hospital the custodian saw two men flee from the school, one of whom ran across the school parking lot into a nearby cemetery. The defendant was shortly thereafter found and apprehended in the cemetery. Other facts which may be pertinent will be recited as we consider the issues raised in this appeal.

The defendant first contends that to sustain a charge of aggravated battery the State must prove an injury or harm to the victim which is more grievous and serious than the type of injury required to sustain the charge of ordinary battery. The defendant argues that the victim did not receive the great bodily harm referred to in Chapter 28, Section 12— 4(a), Illinois Revised Statutes, which is necessary to sustain a conviction for the offense of aggravated battery. In the instant case the victim was attacked in the middle of the night, knocked to the floor, then kicked and stomped, which resulted in injuries which required a period of hospitalization. The record discloses that the doctor attending the victim was concerned about the possibility of internal injuries and the fact that such injuries were not present does not detract from the fact that an innocent person received blows which caused a swelling of his forehead and pain in his lower chest and upper abdominal area.

The law is settled in Illinois that what constitutes “great bodily harm” is a question of fact to be determined by a judge or jury. (People v. Cavanaugh, 18 Ill.App.2d 279, 152 N.E.2d 266; People v. Machroli, 100 Ill.App.2d 227, 241 N.E.2d 609.) In the case before us the jury not only heard the testimony of the complaining witness regarding the charge but also heard the testimony of the doctor who examined and treated him. It is the law in Illinois that because a trial court as the trier of facts is peculiarly suited to determine questions of truthfulness, a reviewing court will not readily substitute its own conclusion unless the proof is so unsatisfactory as to justify a reasonable doubt of guilt. (People v. Boney, 28 Ill.2d 505, 192 N.E.2d 920; People v. Woods, 26 Ill.2d 582, 187 N.E.2d 692.) Thus we cannot say, as we would have to do in order to reverse, that the proof in the instant case failed to sustain a charge of aggravated battery.

The defendant next urges as grounds for reversal of the burglary conviction that the State failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he intended to commit a theft at the time he entered the Kewanee High School. No disagreement exists between the defendant and the State as to what legal principles apply in regard to this contention. Specific intent to steal must exist and be measured at the time of the unauthorized entry into the dwelling of another and the State has the burden of proving the necessary intent. (People v. Maffioli, 406 Ill. 315, 94 N.E.2d 191; People v. McCombs, 94 Ill.App.2d 308, 236 N.E.2d 569; People v. Rossi, 112 Ill.App.2d 208, 250 N.E.2d 528.) Since a persons state of mind is not subject to direct proof, ordinary intent must be proved circumstantially by inference drawn from conduct. In the absence of inconsistent circumstances, proof of unlawful entry into a building which contains personal property that could be the subject of larceny gives rise to an inference that will sustain a conviction of burglary. The inference is grounded in human experience which justifies the assumption that the unlawful entry was not purposeless, and, in the absence of other proof, indicates theft as the most likely purpose. (People v. Johnson, 28 Ill.2d 441, 192 N.E.2d 864; People v. Powell, 61 Ill.App.2d 238, 209 N.E.2d 345; People v. Rossi, supra.) Without again setting forth a detailed recital of the factual situation leading to the defendant’s arrest and conviction we can only conclude that there was sufficient evidence of felonious intent. The defendant at 1:00 o’clock A.M. crawled upon the roof of the Kewanee High School, made a forcible entry into the building, when his presence was discovered he attacked the school custodian, and he fled from the scene in an effort to escape apprehension. Under these unexplained circumstances the jury did properly find the requisite intent to enter and steal. The trier of fact was not required to search out a series of potential explanations and elevate them to the status of reasonable doubt. People v. Rossi, supra.

Later during the morning of September 29, 1970, a hearing of some nature was held before the circuit court of Henry County at the conclusion of which the defendant was ordered bound over to the Grand Jury and bail was set. At this hearing the defendant was not represented by counsel. The State contends the hearing was a preliminary examination to determine if a warrant of arrest should issue, while the defendant argues that it was a preliminary hearing and the failure to provide him with counsel constitutes a violation of his constitutional rights. In support of his argument the defendant cites the cases of Coleman v. Alabama, 399 U.S. 1, 90 S.Ct. 1999, and People v. Adams, 46 Ill.2d 200, 263 N.E.2d 490.

Whether the complained of hearing was for the purpose of determining probable cause thereby justifying the issuance of a warrant or whether it is to be construed as a preliminary hearing is in our opinion immaterial. Also we do not deem it reversible error in that the defendant was not provided with counsel at such hearing. We reach this conclusion since we are compelled to apply the “harmless error" rule. An examination of the record clearly discloses that there was no reasonable possibility that the evidence complained of at the hearing might have contributed to the defendant’s conviction. (See Chapman v. California, 386 U.S. 18, 17 L.Ed.2d 705, 87 S.Ct. 825; People v.

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Bluebook (online)
287 N.E.2d 747, 6 Ill. App. 3d 773, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-polansky-illappct-1972.