People v. Reynolds

832 N.E.2d 512, 359 Ill. App. 3d 207, 295 Ill. Dec. 361, 2005 Ill. App. LEXIS 721
Appellate Court of Illinois·Decided July 12, 2005·No. 2-03-0816·Published·Cited by 8 cases

Opinions

JUSTICE KAPALA

delivered the opinion of the court:

After a bench trial before the circuit court of Jo Daviess County, defendant, Jordan D. Reynolds, was found guilty of felony criminal trespass to a residence (720 ILCS 5/19—4(a)(2) (West 2002)), as a lesser-included offense of the charged offense of residential burglary (720 ILCS 5/19—3 (West 2002)), and battery (720 ILCS 5/12—3(a)(2) (West 2002)), as a lesser-included offense of the charged offense of aggravated criminal sexual abuse (720 ILCS 5/12—16(c)(1)(i) (West 2002)). Thereafter, defendant was sentenced to concurrent terms of conditional discharge. Defendant appeals contending that: (1) his conviction of felony criminal trespass to a residence must be reversed because the State failed to prove the essential element of entry without authority; (2) he must be granted a new trial because the record does not show that the trial court obtained an understanding waiver of his right to a jury trial in open court; and (3) his conviction of felony criminal trespass to a residence must be reduced to a misdemeanor conviction of that offense because the felony form is not a lesser-included offense of residential burglary. For the reasons that follow, we reject defendant’s first and second appellate contentions, but accept his third.

I. FACTS

In a two-count indictment filed on August 30, 2002, defendant was charged with residential burglary (720 ILCS 5/19—3 (West 2002)) and aggravated criminal sexual abuse (720 ILCS 5/12—16(c)(1)(i) (West 2002)). The cause proceeded to a bench trial.

The State called 12-year-old E.L., who testified that she lives at 635 5th Street in East Dubuque. On May 31, 2002, she was at home with her parents, her brothers Matthew, Brian, and Adam, and her friend who was staying the night. E.L. slept on the couch that night and at some point woke and noticed that defendant was lying next to her, rubbing her back. E.L. said that she was lying on her stomach and defendant was on his side with his body against her. E.L. explained that defendant was moving his hand up and down and in circles on her back, coming within an inch of her buttocks. When E.L. tried to get up, defendant pushed her down and said “shh.” E.L. elbowed defendant’s arm away, jumped over his legs, and ran down to the hallway by the bathroom. E.L. was scared, curled up in a ball, and started crying. E.L. also testified that defendant was a friend of her brother Brian and had been to her house on a number of occasions prior to this incident.

Matthew L. testified that he is 14 years old and lives at 635 5th Street in East Dubuque. On June 1, 2002, in the early morning hours, Matthew was asleep in a chair in the living room. Matthew said that he saw defendant come into the living room and walk over to the couch where his sister E.L. was sleeping. Matthew ran down to the bathroom because he was scared. When Matthew came out of the bathroom, E.L. came running down the hall and started screaming that defendant was right next to her. To Matthew’s knowledge, neither he nor anyone else in his household gave defendant permission to be in the house that morning. Matthew said that defendant was a good friend of his brother Brian and that defendant had been to his house many times. Matthew testified that there was nothing unusual about defendant being at their house, but being there at 3 a.m. was a little different.

Anna M. testified that she is 11 years old and that she spent the night at her friend E.L.’s house on May 31, 2002. Anna slept on a small couch in the living room while E.L. slept on a larger couch in the same room. At some point during the night, Anna saw E.L. run from the couch and somebody sitting on the couch. When Anna went to see what was wrong, she found E.L. curled up with her face in her knees crying. E.L. told Anna and Matthew that it was defendant.

Adam L. testified that he is 17 years old and lives at 635 5th Street in East Dubuque. Adam said that at about 3 a.m. on June 1, 2002, he was at home sleeping in his bedroom when he heard a scream and a door slam. Adam found his sister E.L. curled up in a ball shaking. Adam testified that, approximately three weeks before the incident, he was sleeping on the couch, and he turned around, and defendant was right there. Defendant said that he was looking for Brian. Adam did not give defendant permission to be in the house that night or on the morning of June 1, 2002. Adam also testified that defendant would ordinarily ring the doorbell when he came to their house.

The State called David L., who testified that he owns the home at 635 5th Street in East Dubuque. On June 1, 2002, at approximately 3:10 a.m., David was awoken by his daughter screaming. David found E.L. by the bathroom crying. E.L. told him that defendant had come in the house, laid down next to her, rubbed her back, and told her to be quiet. After calming his daughter down, David telephoned defendant. When David asked defendant if he had been at David’s house, defendant said no but added that he had been to a party in the neighborhood. When David told defendant that three people saw him in the house, defendant denied being there. When David told defendant that he was going to report the incident to the police, defendant continued to deny that he was in the house. Defendant also denied being on drugs or alcohol. After David gave defendant one final opportunity to provide a straight answer, defendant said that he was in front of the house, but did not come inside. David told defendant that he was going to call the police. David testified that defendant did not have permission to be in his house on June 1, 2002.

The testimony of East Dubuque police officers established that defendant was 17 years old on June 1, 2002, and that defendant was seen at about 3:10 a.m. at a location that is between the house in question and his own residence. When officers asked defendant to give a statement about what happened on June 1, 2002, defendant refused.

Defendant called Brian L., who testified that he has known defendant since the second grade and that defendant had been to his house a number of times in the year preceding the incident. Brian testified that he was not aware that defendant entered his house on June 1, 2002, because he slept through whatever occurred.

Defendant testified that in May 2002, Brian L. was one of his good friends. On May 31, 2002, defendant went to a party where he consumed “quite a few” alcoholic beverages. According to defendant, earlier that night he had spoken to Brian and was under the impression that Brian was going to the party. Brian did not attend. While at the party, defendant unsuccessfully attempted to contact Brian by telephone. Defendant said that he left the party at about 3 a.m. and went to Brian’s house with the intention of getting Brian and returning to the party. Defendant said that he entered Brian’s house through the front door and went upstairs to the living room, where he saw Matthew on the chair, someone he did not recognize on the small couch, and someone on the large couch.

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People v. Reynolds, 832 N.E.2d 512, 359 Ill. App. 3d 207, 295 Ill. Dec. 361, 2005 Ill. App. LEXIS 721 (Ill. Ct. App. 2005).

832 N.E.2d 512 (People v. Reynolds) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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