People v. Pondexter

573 N.E.2d 339, 214 Ill. App. 3d 79, 157 Ill. Dec. 921, 1991 Ill. App. LEXIS 933
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedJune 5, 1991
Docket4-90-0269
StatusPublished
Cited by53 cases

This text of 573 N.E.2d 339 (People v. Pondexter) 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. Pondexter, 573 N.E.2d 339, 214 Ill. App. 3d 79, 157 Ill. Dec. 921, 1991 Ill. App. LEXIS 933 (Ill. Ct. App. 1991).

Opinion

JUSTICE McCULLOUGH

delivered the opinion of the court:

Defendant was indicted by a grand jury on March 7, 1989, for two counts of aggravated battery (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1987, ch. 38, par. 12—4(b)(6)). After the jury was impaneled and sworn and the State had rested its case, the trial court declared a mistrial. Defendant subsequently filed a motion to bar reprosecution on double jeopardy grounds, which was denied by the trial court. Defendant appeals pursuant to Supreme Court Rule 604(f) (134 Ill. 2d R. 604(f)). We reverse the trial court and hold double jeopardy bars a second trial.

Defendant is an inmate at the Pontiac Correctional Center and on January 11, 1989, was involved in a fight with an on-duty correctional officer. According to defendant, the correctional officer slammed the cell-house door on his hand and refused to open the door so defendant could release his hand. The correctional officer denied this incident and testified defendant attacked him for no reason whatsoever. The correctional officer received cuts and abrasions on his head and face. Defendant claims to have suffered a broken finger, although this was never proved.

Defendant’s trial began on March 22, 1990, with defendant appearing pro se. Pretrial motions were heard on the two days preceding the trial date. On two occasions, the trial court specifically asked defendant whether he wished to have any witnesses subpoenaed. Defendant stated he did not have any specific names of people he wished to call as witnesses.

The jury was selected and sworn and the State made its opening statement. Defendant did not give an opening statement. The State proceeded with its case in chief, calling three witnesses, all correctional officers on duty that day. Thereafter, the State rested.

The proceedings began the following day for defendant’s case in chief. It was at this point in the proceedings that defendant produced an affidavit from another inmate who claimed to have witnessed the altercation between defendant and the correctional officer. This affidavit was dated February 6, 1989, more than one year prior to trial, but defendant claimed he had forgotten about it until the previous evening when he found it in his files. Defendant requested this witness be called on his behalf.

At this point, the State’s Attorney indicated this affidavit had not been provided in discovery. The court noted the dilemma it faced in that this affidavit was essentially a witness statement that was required to be produced to the State per the discovery rules. Yet, the court observed that, taken at face value, the affidavit was from a person claiming to be an eyewitness to the entire episode who would have material things to say about the incident. The court first indicated its intention to declare a mistrial to straighten out the discovery situation. The court believed this affidavit should have been disclosed to the State but was hesitant to exclude it because it was a material statement as to what occurred. The trial court then sought the State’s position on a mistrial.

The State’s Attorney objected to the mistrial because he did not know what effect it would have in terms of double jeopardy and retrying the defendant. Defendant stated he did not know what to say about the mistrial. However, defendant indicated he did wish this witness to be called.

The court explained to defendant that if a mistrial was declared, this would not be done at the State’s jeopardy, but rather to allow defendant to call the witness who had not been previously disclosed to the State. In the trial court’s statement of its intention to declare a mistrial, it indicated a continuance in the situation would not be sufficient to remedy the problem.

The trial court then declared a mistrial because it failed to see any other way defendant could call the witness when the State had not been informed of this individual. The court indicated to defendant it could refuse to allow the witness to testify but, because of its belief that this would be fundamentally unfair to the process of trying to find out what happened on January 11, 1989, it declined to do this. Thus, the trial court declared a mistrial but explicitly noted the State should not be prejudiced by this declaration.

Defendant filed a motion to bar reprosecution based on double jeopardy grounds. After a hearing on the matter, this motion was denied. The court stated it would have been manifestly detrimental to the ends of justice to have not declared a mistrial. The court indicated the mistrial was declared on the court’s motion and that neither defendant nor the State’s Attorney requested this mistrial. Defendant appeals the denial of that motion pursuant to Supreme Court Rule 604(f), which provides: “The defendant may appeal to the Appellate Court the denial of a motion to dismiss a criminal proceeding on grounds of former jeopardy.” 134 Ill. 2d R. 604(f).

We initially note that reviewing courts should not have procedures and rules for trial courts which apply only to defendants such as Pondexter. A separate standard would only lend encouragement to make a mockery of our judicial system.

Defendant contends his reprosecution is barred by the double jeopardy clause because neither party requested the mistrial and no “manifest necessity” existed to declare a mistrial. Defendant suggests there were less drastic alternatives available to remedy the discovery violation and, thus, a mistrial was unnecessary. The State responds that manifest necessity existed to declare the mistrial. The State asserts the dilemma faced by the court with respect to defendant’s potential witness was caused by defendant’s own conduct and, since the mistrial benefitted defendant, reprosecution should not be barred.

The double jeopardy clause of the fifth amendment of the United States Constitution, made applicable to the States through the fourteenth amendment in Benton v. Maryland (1969), 395 U.S. 784, 787, 23 L. Ed. 2d 707, 711, 89 S. Ct. 2056, 2058, provides “nor shall any person be subject for the same offen[s]e to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb.” (U.S. Const., amend. V.) This clause safeguards a criminal defendant’s “valued right to have his trial completed by a particular tribunal” but must be balanced against “the public’s interest in fair trials designed to end in just judgments.” (Wade v. Hunter (1949), 336 U.S. 684, 689, 93 L. Ed. 974, 978, 69 S. Ct. 834, 837.) The double jeopardy clause does not bar all reprosecutions. Whether a defendant may be retried after a mistrial has been declared without the defendant’s request depends on whether there was a manifest necessity for the mistrial. People ex rel. Roberts v. Orenic (1981), 88 Ill. 2d 502, 431 N.E.2d 353.

The starting point in any double jeopardy analysis is determining whether jeopardy had attached. Jeopardy attaches when a jury is selected and sworn. (People ex rel. Mosley v. Carey (1979), 74 Ill. 2d 527, 387 N.E.2d 325.) It is unquestionable that jeopardy had attached in the present case. Not only had the jury been selected and sworn, but the State had presented and rested its case.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
573 N.E.2d 339, 214 Ill. App. 3d 79, 157 Ill. Dec. 921, 1991 Ill. App. LEXIS 933, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-pondexter-illappct-1991.