People v. Spurlark

384 N.E.2d 767, 67 Ill. App. 3d 186, 23 Ill. Dec. 860, 1978 Ill. App. LEXIS 3797
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedDecember 7, 1978
Docket77-162
StatusPublished
Cited by33 cases

This text of 384 N.E.2d 767 (People v. Spurlark) 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. Spurlark, 384 N.E.2d 767, 67 Ill. App. 3d 186, 23 Ill. Dec. 860, 1978 Ill. App. LEXIS 3797 (Ill. Ct. App. 1978).

Opinion

Mr. JUSTICE LINN

delivered the opinion of the court:

At the conclusion of a jury trial in the circuit court of Cook County, defendant, Nathaniel Spurlark, was found guilty of possessing more than 30 grams of cocaine, a controlled substance (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1977, ch. 56½, par. 1402(a)(2)). He was sentenced to a term of 15 to 30 years imprisonment.

On appeal, defendant contends: (1) he was denied the constitutional right to be defended by counsel of his choice; (2) the trial court’s failure to conduct a full evidentiary hearing on his motion for substitution of judge constituted reversible error; (3) the trial court abused its discretion when it denied defense counsel’s request for a continuance; and (4) the sentence imposed must be vacated and the cause remanded for resentencing because the presentence investigation report (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1977, ch. 38, par. 1005 — 3—1) was not made available to defendant’s counsel at least three days prior to the imposition of sentence.

We affirm the trial court.

The pertinent facts disclose that in May 1973 defendant was indicted for possession of cocaine, a controlled substance (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1977, ch. 56½, par. 1402(a)(2)). On June 6, 1973, attorney R. Eugene Pinchara entered his appearance on defendant’s behalf. On June 8, defendant was arraigned and pled not guilty to the possession charge.

Between June 8, 1973, and January 23,1975, the start of defendant’s trial was continued 36 times. Of the 36 continuances, 21 were requested by defendant. Prior to trial, defendant also filed two motions for substitution of judges, both of which were granted.

On January 23, 1975, defendant’s case was assigned to Judge Saul Epton. Judge Epton scheduled the start of defendant’s trial for February 26. In selecting this February trial date, Judge Epton alluded to attorney Pincham’s pressing case load:

“The Court: Now we have * ” ” February — February 26. Is that an agreeable date?
Mr. Pincham: It is your Honor.
The Court: On all your matters, Mr. Pincham?
Mr. Pincham: Yes.”

On February 26, the defense and the prosecution agreed to a continuance and the trial judge reset the start of defendant’s trial for April 7, 1975. On March 29, Pincham appeared in court and requested that the April 7 trial date be continued still further. To ensure Pincham’s availability for trial, Judge Epton granted a continuance to July 21.

Attorney Charles Evans appeared in court on July 21, and informed Judge Epton that Pincham was in Boulder, Colorado, and would not return for a couple of weeks. Defendant’s trial was reset for September 22.

On September 22, Pincham was granted still another continuance and defendant’s trial was rescheduled for December 1. On December 1, Pincham informed the trial judge that he could not try the case because personal matters required his immediate attention. Defendant’s trial was reset for January 8, 1976.

Between January 8 and October 8,1976, the start of defendant’s trial was rescheduled six more times, based on the representation that Pincham and his associates were engaged in other litigation. On October 8, attorney T. Lee Boyd, an associate of Pincham’s, appeared in court and requested that the start of defendant’s trial be continued again. Judge Epton informed Boyd that defendant’s trial date had already been continued innumerable times in order to accommodate Pincham and his associates. The trial judge also pointed out that, as a result of these continuances, defendant’s case was over three years old and was the only 1973 case still pending on the court’s trial call. Judge Epton concluded his remarks by declaring that defendant was going on trial that day as previously scheduled. Boyd then informed the trial judge that he was unfamiliar with defendant’s case and that Pincham and Isaiah Gant, another Pincham associate, were committed to other trials at that time.

After further dialogue, the trial judge continued the start of defendant’s trial for five days, to October 13. The trial judge admonished Boyd that defendant’s trial was to begin on October 13, and that Pinchara or Gant were to be prepared for trial on that day.

On October 13, Gant appeared before the trial judge and requested another continuance. When asked if either he or Pinchara was ready for trial, Gant answered, “No.” After further discussion, the trial judge reset the start of defendant’s trial for the following day, October 14.

At 9:30 a.m. on October 14, defendant appeared in court alone. Because counsel did not appear on defendant’s behalf, Judge Epton proceeded to trial on another case. When Gant appeared in the courtroom at 3:30 p.m., the trial judge informed him that the case then being tried would conclude Friday, October 15. The trial judge then stated to Gant: “You are on trial Monday morning.”

On Monday, October 18, attorney Samuel Bass informed Judge Epton that neither Pinchara nor Gant was available that morning to conduct defendant’s trial. Judge Epton reset the start of defendant’s trial for October 27. Gant appeared in court on October 27 and requested that the trial date be continued yet again to November 3. The motion was granted.

Defendant’s case was held on the trial call November 3 and 4. On November 5, Pinchara appeared before the trial judge and demanded a jury trial. However, Pinchara also stated that because he was engaged in other litigation he did not have time to either pick a jury or to proceed to trial that day. Judge Epton responded:

“[T]his matter has been held on our call for several days ° ° we have reached a point where the record indicates a substantial number of continuances and all sides — that is I should say both sides — were advised that this matter would go to trial.”

After explaining that he was already involved in a criminal trial before Judge Strayhom, Pinchara stated:

“That case should conclude by Tuesday. Today is Friday. 999 I would, therefore, request of the Court to hold [Spurlark’s] case on call until such time as I finish the case before Judge Strayhorn.”

The trial judge agreed, stating:

“THE COURT: Let the record show that based upon Mr. Pincham’s representation that he has not finished his case before Judge Strayhom and that this will be a jury trial, this case will start just as soon as he concludes his case before Judge Strayhom. If it is Monday, it will start Tuesday. If his case is finished before Judge Strayhorn on Tuesday, this case will start on Wednesday.
I intend to call Judge Strayhorn and ask him to advise me when the case that you are trying now is completed, and I am sure that he will and you will also, Mr. Pincham.
MR. PINCHAM: I will report to you.
THE COURT: Then there is no problem.”

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
384 N.E.2d 767, 67 Ill. App. 3d 186, 23 Ill. Dec. 860, 1978 Ill. App. LEXIS 3797, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-spurlark-illappct-1978.