People v. Stadtman

304 N.E.2d 174, 15 Ill. App. 3d 259, 1973 Ill. App. LEXIS 1650
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedOctober 31, 1973
DocketNo. 11857
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 304 N.E.2d 174 (People v. Stadtman) 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. Stadtman, 304 N.E.2d 174, 15 Ill. App. 3d 259, 1973 Ill. App. LEXIS 1650 (Ill. Ct. App. 1973).

Opinion

Mr. PRESIDING JUSTICE SMITH

delivered the opinion of the court:

The defendant appeals from a sentence of 2 to 10 years on a conviction by a jury of theft over $150. The defendant, indicted along with two others, was charged with burglary, theft and unlawful possession of a narcotic drug. Charges against both codefendants were dismissed prior to trial. The court dismissed the drug charge at the close of the People’s case and the jury found the defendant not guilty on the burglary charge. A general verdict of guilty was returned on an indictment charging theft under section 16 — 1 of the Criminal Code. Ill. Rev. Stat. 1969, ch. 38, pars. 16 — 1(a), 16 — 1(d).

One assignment of error is that the trial court abused its discretion and coerced a jury verdict by compelling the jury to return to deliberate after they had indicated they were too tired to consider the case further. This record does not support that assertion or that conclusion. The jury began its deliberations at 3:00 P.M. and at 11:00 P.M. were brought into the courtroom where the court inquired whether or not they were making any progress. The forelady said — “In one way we have made headway on it, yes. * * * [WJe’re all getting awfully tired. We think we can make progress [W]e are getting some progress and we’re not thinking straight. Maybe if we had a good night’s sleep.” The jury were returned to the jury room and were brought back 10 minutes later and the corut repeated its inquiry. The forelady stated that they were not hopelessly deadlocked. The court inquired whether they wanted to deliberate further than evening and they replied that they could for awhile. They were returned to the courtroom at 12:47 A.M. and on that inquiry, the forelady stated that they were nearly at a verdict. The corut asked whether they were too tired to continue. The forelady said that they could reach a verdict in a few minutes. The court then stated— “You are not to deliberate if you feel like you’re too tired and I was going to discharge you but I don’t want to if you feel you can reach a verdict. I don’t want you to feel that you have to stay here and reach a verdict. If you feel and there’s nobody objecting against you staying then maybe you ought to go back if that’s your wish.” The forelady answered — “Okay”. The verdict was returned at 1:02 A.M. This colloquy between the court and the jury falls far short of coercion on the part of the trial court and indeed, in our judgment, establishes precisely the opposite and suggests a proper concern for the welfare of the jury and the appropriate administration of justice. People v. Canale, 52 Ill.2d 107, 285 N.E.2d 133.

The defendant contends that section 16 — 1(d) of the Criminal Code (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1969, ch. 38, par. 16 — 1(d)), in providing that a defendant commits theft When he knowingly “Obtains control over stolen property * * * under such circumstances as would reasonably induce him to believe that the property was stolen, and (1) Intends to deprive the owner permanently of the use or benefit of the property; * * ®” establishes no standard by which a defendant is “reasonably” induced to believe that the property was stolen and thus he would not be fairly apprised of the charge which he must defend. The term “reasonable” or “unreasonable” as applied to conduct has been adjudicated as applying sufficient standards by which a defendant may regulate or guide his conduct. (United States v. Woodard, 376 F.2d 136.) This assignment of error is without merit.

The defendant contends that testimony of his smoking marijuana a few days before the incident was improper and highly prejudicial. It must be remembered that he was charged at this time with the unlawful possession of narcotics and that issue was still before the court. It would seem that the evidence was admissible to establish conduct, motive and knowledge of the defendant on this particular charge. (People v. Cole, 29 Ill.2d 501, 194 N.E.2d 269; People v. Wilson, 46 Ill.2d 376, 263 N.E.2d 856.) The dismissal of the narcotics charge by the court for insufficiency of evidence should eliminate any possible prejudice to the defendant attributable to this testimony.

The defendant contends it was error for the court to deny his request for a bill of particulars setting forth the time of the commission of the burglary charged, together with other matters. The indictment charged the commission of the crime on November 12. That was the day on which it was discovered. The owners were on vacation at the time and the specific time of the actual burglary was unknown to the People. The caretaker had been in the house on November 10 and nothing was wrong. A van was observed near the scene of the burglary, and on November 12, the defendant helped his friend, to whom the van had been loaned, unload some of the articles stolen from the home. It is apparent that the People could not specify the precise time. It is not error to deny a bill of particulars where the precise time is not known to the People. It is patent realism to state that the People cannot furnish or supply to the defendant information that is not within their knowledge, possession or control. People v. Gill, 122 Ill.App.2d 60, 257 N.E.2d 115.

Error is assigned on the refusal of the trial court to allow discovery of transcripts of the Grand Jury proceeding, the criminal records of prosecuting witnesses and statements of other witnesses, etc. The crime, the trial and the sentence were imposed prior to the effective date of the 1970 constitution and prior to the discovery rules adopted by the Illinois Supreme Court, effective October 1,1971. (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1971, ch. 110A, par. 411.) On the record in this case we cannot say that there was a denial to this defendant of a fair trial in the refusal to furnish the documents requested. It seems apparent that the new rules operated prospectively rather than retrospectively. The motion for discovery was an omnibus motion. Our opinion in People v. Crawford, 114 Ill.App.2d 230, 252 N.E.2d 483, was then pending and there was substantial compliance by the State’s Attorney’s office with that opinion in supplying the information then required. We cannot say that anything then required was refused the defendant nor did the denial of further omnibus discovery preclude a fair trial.

The key issue in this case is whether or not there was sufficient evidence to warrant the question of exclusive possession of the property to go to the jury and whether or not under such circumstances that People’s instruction No. 18 was properly given. That instruction read— “If you find that the defendant had exclusive possession of recently stolen property, and there was no reasonable explanation of his possession, you may infer that the defendant obtained possession of the property by burglary or theft.” Defendant supported himself by repairing automobiles. He did this work on a rural tract of land upon which there was a house trailer. The actual lessee of the property was a David Williams.

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Related

People v. Stadtman
319 N.E.2d 813 (Illinois Supreme Court, 1974)

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Bluebook (online)
304 N.E.2d 174, 15 Ill. App. 3d 259, 1973 Ill. App. LEXIS 1650, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-stadtman-illappct-1973.