People v. Stokes

667 N.E.2d 600, 281 Ill. App. 3d 972, 217 Ill. Dec. 511, 1996 Ill. App. LEXIS 447
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedJune 17, 1996
Docket1-93-4491
StatusPublished
Cited by37 cases

This text of 667 N.E.2d 600 (People v. Stokes) 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. Stokes, 667 N.E.2d 600, 281 Ill. App. 3d 972, 217 Ill. Dec. 511, 1996 Ill. App. LEXIS 447 (Ill. Ct. App. 1996).

Opinions

JUSTICE WOLFSON

delivered the opinion of the court:

This case concerns the trial judge’s obligation to ensure that a defendant’s jury waiver in a criminal case comports with constitutional and statutory requirements.

After simultaneous bench trials, defendant Tyrone Stokes and co-defendant James Elmore were convicted of residential burglary and home invasion (720 ILCS 5/19 — 3, 5/12 — 11(a)(2) (West 1992)). Each was sentenced to a prison term of seven years. On appeal, Stokes contends that his jury waiver was invalid, that the trial court inadequately investigated his post-trial allegation of ineffective assistance of counsel, and that his conviction for residential burglary must be vacated pursuant to the one-act-one-crime rule. We affirm.

FACTS

The defendant, Tyrone Stokes (Stokes), and his codefendant, James Elmore (Elmore), were tried for residential burglary and home invasion on September 7, 1993. At the beginning of the trial, the only discussion about the defendants’ jury waivers was:

"THE CLERK: James Elmore and Tyrone Stokes.
THE COURT: All right. Both sides answering ready. Gentleman [sic], Mr. Stokes, you understand you have a constitutional right to trial by jury. By signing this document you understand you are waiving your constitutional right by [sic] jury. How about you Mr. Elmore?
DEFENDANT ELMORE: Yes.
THE COURT: Understand by signing this document you are waiving your constitutional right by [sic] trial by jury?
DEFENDANT ELMORE: Yes[.]
THE COURT: Do you understand you’ve a constitutional right to trial by jury and only you can waive that right?
DEFENDANT ELMORE: Yes.
THE COURT: And you know what a jury trial is?
DEFENDANT ELMORE: Yes.
THE COURT: Understand you have a constitutional right to trial by jury?
DEFENDANT ELMORE: Yes.
THE COURT: You understand what a jury trial is?
DEFENDANT ELMORE: Yes.
THE COURT: And you want me to hear this case as opposed to a jury?
DEFENDANT ELMORE: Yes.
THE COURT: Okay. Any opening statement?”

The half-sheet entry for September 7, 1993, stated: "Bench Trial Jury waivers signed & filed ea deft [sic] ***.” The record contains Stokes’ signed, written jury waiver form dated September 7, 1993, in which he waived jury trial and submitted the cause to the court.

The State’s evidence disclosed that at approximately 6:15 p.m. on December 5, 1992, Elmore, Stokes, and a juvenile pushed their way inside the residence of Johnny Thornton (Thornton) and Patricia Hooks (Hooks) at 101 West 109th Street in Chicago. Thornton and Hooks recognized Elmore, who lived directly across the street from them. Hooks immediately went out the back door and used a neighbor’s telephone to call Chicago police. Meanwhile, Elmore shoved Thornton against a wall and demanded $200. Thornton responded that he did not owe Elmore $200. Elmore again pushed Thornton against the wall, injuring his head, and ordered the others to take a television set from the bedroom. The assailants then took the television set and fled.

The Chicago police arrived in time to see the defendants running across the street and into a coachhouse. Elmore was carrying the television set. The other two assailants were nearby. After the police arrested them and brought them out of the coachhouse, Thornton identified them as the offenders.

Elmore called his friend Katherine Darnell as a defense witness. She testified that she had been smoking cocaine with Thornton and Hooks when someone knocked at the door. Thornton asked the women to go to the back room. While Darnell was in the back room, she heard Thornton open the door and say "bye.” Thornton then came to the bedroom and stated that he "gave them the TV until he gets money on the first to pay for his drugs.” She did not see Thornton being pushed against the wall and she did not see anyone taking the television set.

At the conclusion of the trial, the trial court convicted Stokes and Elmore of residential burglary and home invasion.

During post-trial proceedings, Stokes’ counsel requested leave to withdraw from the case. He informed the trial court that he had spoken with Stokes and Stokes’ parents, and that Stokes alleged that counsel had prevented him from testifying. The trial court responded that counsel’s representation of Stokes had been "exemplary” and that Stokes had received a "fair and impartial” trial. The trial court asked defense counsel to state his position, and the following colloquy ensued:

"[DEFENSE COUNSEL]: Let me state this: we did plan on having [defendant] testify as to why he happened to be on the scene at the time of the incident. We did plan on having a friend of his, Mr. Bovan (phonetic spelling), who was in court several times in this matter, testify. He was across the street and a friend of [defendant’s] and he would have testified that [defendant] had been at his house and was called over there or went over after the two waived [szc] to him. We did plan that. It was a judgment call. During the trial we — You may recall—
THE COURT: I recall the facts.
[DEFENSE COUNSEL]: She testified she was at Mr. Thornton’s [stc] apartment with two other girls. I didn’t know we could find another one of those woman [sic]. Co-counsel did find her and who did testify that day. When I spoke to [defendant] I told him I thought she was the better witness. So it was a judgment call. That’s where we are.
THE COURT: You’re making a motion to withdraw. That will be denied.”

OPINION

The defendant’s waiver of a jury trial

Stokes did not object to proceeding to trial without a jury. Nor did he raise the issue in his written motion for a new trial.

Both an objection at trial and a written post-trial motion are required to preserve an issue for review. People v. Williams, 165 Ill. 2d 51, 60, 649 N.E.2d 397 (1995); People v. Turner, 128 Ill. 2d 540, 555, 539 N.E.2d 1196 (1989); People v. Enoch, 122 Ill. 2d 176, 186-87, 522 N.E.2d 1124 (1988).

This court, however, may review plain errors affecting substantial rights under Supreme Court Rule 615(a) (134 Ill. 2d R. 615(a)) even if those errors were not brought before the trial court. Pursuant to this rule, this court has consistently elected to review defendants’ claims of invalid jury waivers because a fundamental right is implicated. See People v. Potts, 277 Ill. App.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
667 N.E.2d 600, 281 Ill. App. 3d 972, 217 Ill. Dec. 511, 1996 Ill. App. LEXIS 447, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-stokes-illappct-1996.