People v. Ryan

473 N.E.2d 461, 129 Ill. App. 3d 915, 85 Ill. Dec. 93, 1984 Ill. App. LEXIS 2642
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedDecember 28, 1984
Docket83—0017, 83—0159 cons.
StatusPublished
Cited by19 cases

This text of 473 N.E.2d 461 (People v. Ryan) 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. Ryan, 473 N.E.2d 461, 129 Ill. App. 3d 915, 85 Ill. Dec. 93, 1984 Ill. App. LEXIS 2642 (Ill. Ct. App. 1984).

Opinion

JUSTICE BERLIN

delivered the opinion of the court:

Following a joint bench trial in the circuit court of Cook County, defendants, Thomas Ryan and Edward Joseph, were found guilty of delivery of a controlled substance (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1981, ch. 56V2, par. 1401) and sentenced to six-year terms of imprisonment. 1 On appeal defendants contend that: (1) the testimony of the State’s crime lab chemist should have been stricken when the State allegedly “failed to refresh the witness’ recollection after she testified that she had no independent recollection” of the tests she performed on the controlled substances; and (2) the State’s alleged failure to establish a chain of custody raises a reasonable doubt that the substance tested was not the same substance obtained from the defendants.

Deputy Cook County Sheriff Thomas Braglia testified: On April 6, 1981, he was assigned to the Northeast Metropolitan Group and, through an informant, met defendant Ryan at the latter’s apartment. Braglia agreed to purchase “quaaludes” from Ryan. On April 10, 1981, Braglia gave Ryan $250 in prerecorded money in exchange for 100 quaaludes.

On April 17, 1981, Braglia called Ryan at his home and stated he wished to purchase some cocaine. On that same day, Braglia accompanied Ryan to the home of Ryan’s drug “source” and there purchased cocaine for $100 in prerecorded money. On May 5, 1981, Braglia again purchased cocaine from Ryan and Ryan’s “source” with $200 in prerecorded money. On May 29, 1981, Braglia purchased two ounces of cocaine from Ryan, defendant Joseph and a third person. Ryan and Joseph were arrested at that time.

Patricia Haloyda testified for the State: She is a forensic chemist and she received from Braglia various sealed packages containing alleged controlled substances with reference to this case. She conducted various tests on each package of substances. One bag contained 100 tablets of methaqualone; the others tested positive for the presence of cocaine. On cross-examination Haloyda testified that she prepared “worksheets” in connection with the tests she performed. These worksheets contained a description of the package, the exhibit number, the weight of the substances and the results of the tests administered. On cross-examination, she admitted that she had no independent recollection of the tests she performed on the substances in the instant case, and that her testimony was based on her “memorization” of the tests and test results from her review of her worksheets prior to trial. Defendants’ attorneys then moved to strike her testimony on the ground that it was based on the memorization of a document not introduced into evidence. The trial court denied the motion.

At the conclusion of the trial, the court found each defendant guilty of the offense charged. After denying their post-trial motions, the court sentenced each defendant to six years’ imprisonment. Ryan then pleaded guilty to three other unlawful delivery charges pending against him, and was sentenced on these charges to two concurrent terms of three years and one concurrent term of two years.

On appeal, defendants first contend that the trial court erred in denying their motion to strike Haloyda’s testimony “where the state failed to refresh the witness’ recollection after the witness stated that she had no independent recollection of her testimony.” They argue that a witness can only testify to “those facts or events within the witness’ recollection and knowledge” and that “refreshing recollection, not memorization, is the only recognized way in which counsel may revive the witness’ power to recall without introducing the memorandum itself into evidence.” The State responds that the court properly denied the defendants’ motion to strike the chemist’s testimony because “she had independent recollection of the laboratory tests” and because the witness testified that “her memory was refreshed after she reviewed the worksheets before trial.”

In our opinion, both parties have mischaracterized the issue presented here. We do not perceive it to involve the procedural question of the manner in which a witness’ memory may be refreshed, but rather one which relates to cross-examination and discovery. The record makes clear that Haloyda did not, while testifying, state that her memory was exhausted or that it required refreshing. Nor was any effort made to refresh her memory while she was on the witness stand. Instead, during cross-examination, she stated that she had reviewed her worksheets prior to trial, and that her testimony was based on the contents of those worksheets. The worksheets were not admitted into evidence. 2

In a similar case, the Illinois Supreme Court held that opposing counsel is entitled to examine those documents reviewed before trial by the witness:

“Had reference been made by the officer to the captain’s report [which report was reviewed by the witness prior to testifying] during his testimony for purposes of refreshing his recollection, we assume no question could be raised as to the necessity for its exhibition to defense counsel for his examination and use during cross-examination. We see no substantial or logical difference between that situation, and the one where the witness examines the refreshing document prior to stepping into the courtroom. The opportunity for mischief or error is equally present regardless of where or when the inspection of the documents occurs. As Wigmore states: ‘For though there is no objection to a memory being thus stimulated, yet the risk of imposition and the need of safeguard is just as great.’ (3 Wigmore on Evidence, 3rd ed., sec. 762, p. 111.)” People v. Scott (1963), 29 Ill. 2d 97, 111, 193 N.E.2d 814.

The right of opposing counsel to review the documents relied upon by a witness relates to the defendant’s right to cross-examine adverse witnesses. (People v. Clemons (1979), 72 Ill. App. 3d 860, 391 N.E.2d 128.) Such documents are considered to be a part of the discovery materials to which a defendant is entitled (People v. Holiday (1970), 47 Ill. 2d 300, 265 N.E.2d 634), and must be produced when so requested by defense counsel. People v. Olson (1978), 59 Ill. App. 3d 643, 375 N.E.2d 533; People v. Hartgraves (1964), 31 Ill. 2d 375, 202 N.E.2d 33.

In the instant case the State did offer to provide to defense counsel for use in cross-examination copies of the worksheets Haloyda reviewed before she testified. Defense counsel did not accept this offer. Under these circumstances we conclude that no error occurred.

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Bluebook (online)
473 N.E.2d 461, 129 Ill. App. 3d 915, 85 Ill. Dec. 93, 1984 Ill. App. LEXIS 2642, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-ryan-illappct-1984.