People v. Sanderlin

434 N.E.2d 1158, 105 Ill. App. 3d 811, 61 Ill. Dec. 561, 1982 Ill. App. LEXIS 1732
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedApril 15, 1982
Docket17442
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 434 N.E.2d 1158 (People v. Sanderlin) 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. Sanderlin, 434 N.E.2d 1158, 105 Ill. App. 3d 811, 61 Ill. Dec. 561, 1982 Ill. App. LEXIS 1732 (Ill. Ct. App. 1982).

Opinion

JUSTICE LONDRIGAN

delivered the opinion of the court:

Defendant was charged with the offense of armed robbery. The charge arose from the armed robbery of the Burger Chef restaurant in Bloomington, Illinois, on March 14,1981.

Prior to trial, defendant filed motions to quash his arrest and to suppress testimony regarding a pretrial identification. Defendant alleged that he had been arrested without probable cause and forced to appear in a lineup without counsel.

At the pretrial hearing, it was established that defendant was arrested by Macon County authorities on March 24, 1981, and charged with the armed robbery of a Decatur establishment. Defendant was held in the Macon County jail. Although a finding of probable cause was made at preliminary hearing, the armed robbery charge was dismissed on April 7, 1981. Defendant continued to be detained in Macon County because a parole hold had been issued against him.

On April 8, 1981, Bloomington police officer Richard Hoeniges was advised by Macon County authorities that defendant was in custody as a suspect in a Decatur robbery. The modus operandi of the Decatur robbery was similar to that of the Bloomington Burger Chef robbery.

Hoeniges relayed this information to William Ingram, a McLean County parole officer. Ingram instituted a parole hold on the defendant in McLean County. On April 9,1981, Bloomington police officer John Swearingen traveled to Macon County, obtained custody of defendant and transported him to the McLean County jail. Officer Swearingen did not have a warrant for defendant’s arrest. On April 10, 1981, defendant was placed in a lineup. James Palmer identified the defendant as the perpetrator of the Burger Chef armed robbery.

The trial court denied defendant’s motion to quash his arrest and to suppress evidence.

At trial, the evidence established that at approximately 11 p.m. on March 14, 1981, a masked man entered the Burger Chef restaurant in Bloomington, Illinois. He produced a long-barreled pistol and ordered the employees to empty the safe. After taking the money, the intruder fled. Two restaurant employees gave descriptions of the man. Ms. Stearns described the man as being between 5 feet 10 inches and 6 feet tall, weighing 165 pounds, and wearing a ski mask, blue jeans and an army surplus jacket. Ms. Donaldson described the man as being 6 foot 1 inch tall, slim, and wearing a ski mask, blue jeans and a long green coat.

James Palmer testified that he left the Burger Chef restaurant at approximately 11 p.m. As he was leaving the restaurant, he saw a man wearing an army jacket and blue jeans. As this man reached the door of the restaurant, he pulled a ski mask down over his face. Palmer further stated that he observed the man’s face for 5 to 10 seconds before the man pulled the ski mask down. Palmer described the man as being 6 feet 1 inches tall, slim, with dark hair and a mustache.

Palmer also testified that he viewed a lineup on April 10,1981. Palmer stated that he identified defendant as the man who had committed the Burger Chef robbery.

Defendant presented alibi testimony by his cousin and another woman which indicated that defendant was in Decatur on the evening of March 14,1981.

The jury found defendant guilty of armed robbery. Defendant was sentenced to a term of 8 years’ imprisonment.

Defendant argues that his detention by the Bloomington police constituted an illegal arrest and that the identification testimony must be suppressed as fruit of the illegal arrest. He argues that the McLean County parole hold was merely an attempt to subvert the constitutional requirement of probable cause.

Section 3 — 14—2(c) of the Unified Code of Corrections (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1979, ch. 38, par. 1003-^-14 — 2(c)) provides, in part:

“A sheriff or other peace officer may detain an alleged parole or release violator until a warrant for his return to the Department can be issued. The parolee or releasee may be delivered to any secure place until he can be transported to the Department.”

The supreme court dealt with the question of whether an arrest of a parolee must be supported by probable cause in People ex rel. Jefferson v. Brantley (1969), 44 Ill. 2d 31, 253 N.E.2d 378. In Brantley, petitioner was a parolee who had been arrested by means of a warrant issued by the warden of the penitentiary and charged with a parole violation. Petitioner argued that the warrant was issued without probable cause and that his arrest was improper. The supreme court rejected this argument, stating:

“The warrant for Jefferson’s arrest was issued and certified to by the warden pursuant to section 7(g) of the Sentence and Parole Act (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1967, ch. 108, par. 204(g),) but was not supported by a complaint setting forth probable cause. The warrant initiated an administrative proceeding to determine whether parole had been violated, and in no way deprived a free citizen of his right to liberty. It therefore did not have to meet the ‘probable cause’ requirements of the fourth amendment.” 44 Ill. 2d 31, 33-34, 253 N.E.2d 378.

Similar results have been reached by the courts of sister States. See, e.g., People v. Prochnau (1967), 251 Cal. App. 2d 22, 59 Cal. Rptr. 265 (detention of a parolee is not an arrest since the parolee is at all times in custodia legis); Reeves v. Turner (1972), 28 Utah 2d 310, 501 P.2d 1212 (standards governing arrest in search of parolee are not as stringent as those governing arrest in search of citizen with full civil rights).

The standard required to be met in order to detain a parolee in Illinois was recently discussed in People v. Finch (1980), 86 Ill. App. 3d 493, 408 N.E.2d 87. In Finch, detectives were investigating the murder of two service station attendants. Defendant, a parolee, had been seen in the station a short time before the bodies were found. Officers went to defendant’s apartment. Defendant consented to a search of the premises. Defendant’s girlfriend told one of the officers privately that defendant had a gun but that she had never seen it. Defendant later agreed to go up to the station and answer more questions.

Defendant gave a statement at the police station, describing his actions on that day. Police informed defendant’s parole officer of what defendant’s girlfriend had said about a gun and that defendant’s story “did not jive” with the facts. A parole hold was placed on defendant and he was held in custody. A few hours later, defendant confessed to the crime.

Defendant argued on appeal that his confession should be suppressed because his arrest was not based on probable cause. The Second District held that defendant’s fourth amendment rights were not violated.

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Related

People v. Hendricks
495 N.E.2d 85 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1986)
People v. Branson
475 N.E.2d 905 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1984)
People v. Purnell
472 N.E.2d 183 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1984)
People v. Martin
466 N.E.2d 228 (Illinois Supreme Court, 1984)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
434 N.E.2d 1158, 105 Ill. App. 3d 811, 61 Ill. Dec. 561, 1982 Ill. App. LEXIS 1732, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-sanderlin-illappct-1982.