People v. Saunders

482 N.E.2d 85, 135 Ill. App. 3d 594, 90 Ill. Dec. 378, 1985 Ill. App. LEXIS 2293
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedJuly 3, 1985
Docket83-1040
StatusPublished
Cited by24 cases

This text of 482 N.E.2d 85 (People v. Saunders) 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. Saunders, 482 N.E.2d 85, 135 Ill. App. 3d 594, 90 Ill. Dec. 378, 1985 Ill. App. LEXIS 2293 (Ill. Ct. App. 1985).

Opinion

JUSTICE HOPF

delivered the opinion of the court:

Defendant appeals from his conviction of murder (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1981, ch. 38, par. 9 — 1(a)(1)) following a jury trial in the circuit court of Lee County. He was sentenced to a term of 40 years’ imprisonment. On appeal, defendant contends that: (1) the trial court erred in denying his motion for substitution of judges; (2) defendant’s substantial compliance with the terms of a previous plea agreement precluded his prosecution for murder; (3) defendant was denied the effective assistance of counsel at the time the agreement was reached; (4) the use at trial of defendant’s prior testimony in the trial of his co-conspirator and certain of defendant’s statements to the prosecutor were violative of Supreme Court Rule 402(f) and principles of due process and voluntariness; (5) defendant is entitled to a reduction in his sentence based on his performance of the prior plea agreement; and, (6) the court improperly considered the manner in which the victim’s body was disposed of as an aggravating factor.

On June 6, 1983, defendant was charged by information with one count of murder (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1981, ch. 38, par. 9 — 1(a)(1)) and one count of conspiracy (murder) (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1981, ch. 38, par. 8 — 2(a)). The charges arose from defendant’s involvement in the strangulation death of Stuart Kelly Young on October 16, 1981. On June 24, 1983, defendant moved for a substitution of judges, which was denied.

Prior to trial, defendant moved to suppress all oral and written statements, admissions, and testimony, either exculpatory or inculpatory, which were alleged to have been made prior to, at the time of, or subsequent to defendant’s arrest on March 25, 1983. The motion alleged, specifically, that on November 9, 1981, and on subsequent dates thereto, defendant was interrogated by law enforcement officials from Lee and Ogle counties, that on that date defendant requested that an attorney confer with him, and that attorney David T. Fritts was contacted and discussed various matters concerning the death of Stuart Kelly Young. The motion also alleged that following these discussions attorney Fritts entered into negotiations with the State’s Attorneys of Lee and Ogle counties, and that prior to any statements being made by defendant a negotiated agreement was entered into between defendant and the State’s Attorneys. The motion further alleged that any statements, admissions, and testimony which followed the making of said agreement should be suppressed as being obtained as a result of promises of leniency and/or immunity to the defendant which were not fulfilled and were therefore involuntary. A motion to dismiss was also filed on the basis that defendant had received immunity from prosecution for the offense charged.

According to the terms of the negotiated agreement, defendant “agreed to give a full and complete statement as to his knowledge of the murder of Stuart Kelly Young” to the authorities. State’s Attorney Schumacher testified at a motion to dismiss hearing that he had stressed to Fritts that the agreement would no longer be valid if Saunders kept information from the police. Defendant also agreed to testify in conformance with his statement to the police against any defendant who was arrested as a result of his statement. Additionally, defendant agreed to undergo a polygraph examination, which he did and passed. In exchange for defendant’s cooperation, the Lee and Ogle County State’s Attorneys’ offices agreed to charge defendant with the offense of concealing a homicide in a county of proper venue “if [defendant] could not be charged as a principal in the murder” based upon defendant’s statement and the polygraph examination. Further, the State’s Attorneys agreed to recommend that defendant be sentenced to probation “if he did not physically contribute to the death of Stuart Kelly Young.” However, if defendant did physically contribute to such death, “but said contribution did not rise to the level of a principal in the offense,” it would be recommended that defendant be sentenced to two years in the Department of Corrections. Finally, the State’s Attorneys agreed that defendant would “either be released on a recognizance bond on a charge of Concealing a Homicide or would be charged at a later date.”

Defendant’s motion to dismiss alleged that pursuant to the advice of counsel, defendant “complied in all respects with the agreement” by giving “several full and complete statements” as to his knowledge of the murder, by giving police officials various leads which developed later evidence, by taking the polygraph, by testifying on February 12, 1983, against Charles Danek, defendant’s co-conspirator in the murder, and by speaking with the investigators of both counties concerning additional clarification which they required. Finally, defendant alleged that because he complied in all respects with the foregoing agreement, he was immune from prosecution on the present charges of murder and conspiracy (murder). The State responded to defendant’s motion to dismiss by admitting the existence of the agreement and the substance of its terms, but denying that defendant gave a full and complete statement prior to the trial of Danek. The State argued that defendant therefore did not comply in all respects with the agreement.

At the hearing on defendant’s motion to dismiss, defense attorney David Fritts testified that prior to any negotiations, he advised defendant of his Miranda rights. Following the completion of the negotiations, Fritts advised defendant to “[t]ell them exactly what he told me, not to leave anything out, to be complete and honest and open ***.” Counsel advised defendant that the most he would be getting was two years in prison; other than this, defendant did not know the specifics of the agreement.

At the hearing, Fritts also testified that at Danek’s trial in February 1982, Fritts discovered that defendant had not disclosed all the information either to the authorities or to Fritts: namely, that defendant had placed a syringe of air into the victim’s arm. After trial, Fritts discovered that defendant and Danek had been in a car accident together on the Peoria Avenue Bridge. Additionally, in January 1983 it was discovered that certain evidence had been thrown off the Grand Detour Bridge, and that other evidence had been discarded on the Rock Island blacktop. Dixon police officer Larry Hagen stated that a witness to the accident was discovered who might have provided corroborative testimony at Danek’s trial. Danek was ultimately acquitted of the charges against him.

At the hearing on the motion to dismiss, the prosecutor argued that defendant’s use of the syringe made him a principal in the crime. It was further argued that defendant violated the terms of the agreement by failing to disclose all information prior to Danek’s trial. Defendant’s motion to dismiss was denied.

At the hearing on the motion to suppress, the prosecutor originally agreed that defendant’s statements made prior to July 12, 1982, were plea-related and therefore inadmissible under Rule 402(f) (87 Ill. 2d R. 402(f)). Defendant’s motion to suppress was therefore granted. The stipulation covered Saunders’ testimony at Danek’s trial and a January 31, 1982, telephone conversation between defendant and State’s Attorney Stockton. Later, the prosecutor was allowed to withdraw his stipulation that the testimony was inadmissible.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
482 N.E.2d 85, 135 Ill. App. 3d 594, 90 Ill. Dec. 378, 1985 Ill. App. LEXIS 2293, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-saunders-illappct-1985.