People v. Seidler

561 N.E.2d 386, 203 Ill. App. 3d 666, 149 Ill. Dec. 108, 1990 Ill. App. LEXIS 1507
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedSeptember 28, 1990
Docket4-89-0943
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 561 N.E.2d 386 (People v. Seidler) 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. Seidler, 561 N.E.2d 386, 203 Ill. App. 3d 666, 149 Ill. Dec. 108, 1990 Ill. App. LEXIS 1507 (Ill. Ct. App. 1990).

Opinion

JUSTICE LUND

delivered the opinion of the court:

On May 12, 1989, defendant Kenneth Seidler filed a petition for post-conviction relief in the circuit court of Sangamon County. On November 17, 1989, the circuit court granted the petition and ordered a new trial. The State now appeals. We reverse.

On June 7, 1984, defendant was found guilty of committing the offense of rape. He subsequently received a 40-year prison sentence. On direct appeal, this court in a Rule 23 order affirmed the conviction. (People v. Seidler (1985), 131 Ill. App. 3d 1173, 493 N.E.2d 1226 (unpublished order under Supreme Court Rule 23).) In that appeal, defendant argued his identification by the victim should have been suppressed since it was tainted by police conduct and that he was not proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. The order also indicates that the victim had undergone hypnosis prior to making the in-court identification of defendant. It is this hypnosis which is the central issue of the current post-conviction petition.

At the time of trial, the use of hypnotically enhanced testimony was permitted. (See People v. Smrekar (1979), 68 Ill. App. 3d 379, 385 N.E.2d 848.) However, our supreme court recently held that, as a matter of evidentiary law, a witness’ hypnotically enhanced testimony is inadmissible. (People v. Zayas (1989), 131 Ill. 2d 284, 295, 546 N.E.2d 513, 518.) At the time the Zayas opinion was filed, defendant’s post-conviction petition was pending. In it, he alleged he was entitled to a new trial because he received ineffective assistance of counsel by counsel’s not objecting to the hypnotically enhanced testimony, he was denied a fair trial by that evidence’s admission, and the use of this testimony violated his right to confrontation. The court, without explanation as to its reasons, granted the petition. The State now appeals.

The Post-Conviction Hearing Act (Act) (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1989, ch. 38, pars. 122 — 1 through 122 — 8) provides a remedy to criminal defendants who claim that substantial violations of constitutional rights occurred in their trials. (People v. Silagy (1987), 116 Ill. 2d 357, 365, 507 N.E.2d 830, 833, cert, denied (1987), 484 U.S. 873, 98 L. Ed. 2d 163, 108 S. Ct. 212.) Such a proceeding is not an appeal per se, but is a collateral attack upon a final judgment. (People v. James (1986), 111 Ill. 2d 283, 290, 489 N.E.2d 1350, 1353.) The scope of review is limited to issues which have not been, and could not have been, previously adjudicated. People v. Owens (1989), 129 Ill. 2d 303, 308, 544 N.E.2d 276, 277.

The State initially contends that the counsel involved in the original trial was not ineffective because the status of the law at the time allowed for admission of hypnotically enhanced testimony. (See Smrekar, 68 Ill. App. 3d 379, 385 N.E.2d 848.) In his brief before this court, defendant agrees. Accordingly, it is not necessary for us to consider this question.

The State next contends defendant’s right of confrontation was not violated. The confrontation clause of the sixth amendment gives the accused the right to be confronted with the witnesses against him. This has long been read as securing an adequate opportunity to cross-examine witnesses. (United States v. Owens (1988), 484 U.S. 554, 557, 98 L. Ed. 2d 951, 956, 108 S. Ct. 838, 841.) The State argues this right was complied with since the victim testified in his presence in court and was subject to cross-examination. Defendant responds by observing that previously hypnotized witnesses gain complete confidence in their “restored” memory and are very difficult to cross-examine. (See Zayas, 131 Ill. 2d at 291, 546 N.E.2d at 516.) Accordingly, he maintains that his right to confront the victim has been abridged.

Initially, we conclude that defendant was precluded from asserting this claim. It is well settled that, in evaluating post-conviction petitions, affirmance on the direct appeal is res judicata as to all issues that were raised, or could have been raised, in that appeal. (People v. Roberts (1979), 75 Ill. 2d 1, 10, 387 N.E.2d 331, 335; People v. Peeples (1989), 184 Ill. App. 3d 206, 208, 539 N.E.2d 1376, 1377.) Defendant’s argument that use of this testimony violates his confrontation rights could easily have been made during the original trial and on direct appeal. While Smrekar had resolved the question of the evidence’s admissibility, that case only involved an analysis under evidence principles. The confrontation question was never presented there. Thus, it could have been presented in this case originally. Failure to do so results in application of the doctrine of res judicata and prevents defendant from pursuing this argument in his post-conviction petition.

Defendant, however, observes there is a limited exception to strict application of res judicata when fundamental fairness dictates otherwise, as where the right relied upon has been recognized for the first time after direct appeal. (Peeples, 184 Ill. App. 3d at 208, 539 N.E.2d at 1377; People v. Cowherd (1983), 114 Ill. App. 3d 894, 898, 449 N.E.2d 589, 591-92.) Defendant suggests that the recent overruling of Smrekar by Zayas creates just such an exception. However, Zayas involved an analysis of the reliability of the evidence for admission under general evidentiary principles and did not involve the confrontation clause. Thus, it is clear that no new right involving the confrontation clause has been recognized and, therefore, there is no exception to strict application of res judicata.

Assuming arguendo that res judicata does not apply, defendant’s position must fail. In Delaware v. Fensterer (1985), 474 U.S. 15, 88 L. Ed. 2d 15, 106 S. Ct. 292, the Court addressed a situation in which an expert witness testified as to his opinion but, on cross-examination, he could not remember the basis for it. The Court found no confrontation problem with this. It explained:

“The Confrontation Clause includes no guarantee that every witness called by the prosecution will refrain from giving testimony that is marred by forgetfulness, confusion, or evasion. To the contrary, the Confrontation Clause is generally satisfied when the defense is given a full and fair opportunity to probe and expose these infirmities through cross-examination, thereby calling to the attention of the factfinder the reasons for giving scant weight to the witness’ testimony.” Fensterer, 474 U.S. at 21-22, 88 L. Ed. 2d at 21, 106 S. Ct. at 295.

In Owens, the Court was faced with a situation where the victim of a beating identified, to the police at the hospital, the defendant as the perpetrator.

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Bluebook (online)
561 N.E.2d 386, 203 Ill. App. 3d 666, 149 Ill. Dec. 108, 1990 Ill. App. LEXIS 1507, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-seidler-illappct-1990.