People v. Terry

CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedMay 13, 2026
Docket4-25-0690
StatusUnpublished

This text of People v. Terry (People v. Terry) 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. Terry, (Ill. Ct. App. 2026).

Opinion

NOTICE 2026 IL App (4th) 250690-U FILED This Order was filed under May 13, 2026 Supreme Court Rule 23 and is NO. 4-25-0690 Carla Bender not precedent except in the 4th District Appellate limited circumstances allowed under Rule 23(e)(1). IN THE APPELLATE COURT Court, IL

OF ILLINOIS

FOURTH DISTRICT

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, ) Appeal from the Plaintiff-Appellee, ) Circuit Court of v. ) Knox County DIMARI TERRY, ) No. 24CF100 Defendant-Appellant. ) ) Honorable ) Andrew J. Doyle, ) Judge Presiding.

JUSTICE DOHERTY delivered the judgment of the court. Justices Zenoff and Harris concurred in the judgment.

ORDER

¶1 Held: The appellate court granted the Office of the State Appellate Defender’s motion to withdraw as appellate counsel and affirmed defendant’s conviction and sentence for aggravated battery, as the appeal presents no potentially meritorious issue for review.

¶2 Following a bench trial, defendant Dimari Terry was convicted of one count of

aggravated battery (720 ILCS 5/12-3.05(d)(6) (West 2022)) and sentenced to three years and six

months in prison. On appeal, the Office of the State Appellate Defender (OSAD) now seeks to

withdraw pursuant to Anders v. California, 386 U.S. 738 (1967), on the basis it cannot raise any

potentially meritorious argument. We grant OSAD’s motion to withdraw and affirm the judgment

of the trial court.

¶3 I. BACKGROUND

¶4 A. Charges and Jury Waiver ¶5 In February 2024, the State charged defendant with two counts of aggravated

battery (720 ILCS 5/12-3.05(d)(6) (West 2022)). The charges arose out of allegations that

defendant, who was incarcerated at Hill Correctional Center, struck two individuals he knew to be

employees of the Illinois Department of Corrections (DOC) after they entered his cell. Specifically,

count I alleged defendant made physical contact of an insulting or provoking nature with Marshall

Hendricks by jumping from his top bunk and striking Hendricks with his elbow. Count II alleged

defendant struck James Johnson’s shoulder and chest with a closed fist, causing pain and bruising.

¶6 In August 2024, defendant’s counsel informed the trial court defendant sought to

waive his right to a jury trial. The court asked defendant whether this was in fact his intention, and

defendant confirmed it was. Before accepting the waiver, the court asked defendant whether

anyone forced, threatened, or promised him anything to obtain his waiver. Defendant answered,

“No, Your Honor.” The court then informed defendant that, after waiving a jury trial, “it’s highly

unlikely you get that right back” barring a “major circumstance.” Although defendant noted this

was “new information” to him, he stated he spoke with his attorney about everything “except that

part” and still wanted to waive a jury trial. The court informed defendant that upon waiving a jury

trial, his options “would be to have a bench trial or to have some type of fully negotiated plea

agreement.” When the court asked if he still wished to proceed, defendant answered, “Yeah. I’m

good with it.” Defendant then signed a written jury waiver form, which provided he understood he

would “receive a trial by the Court without a jury present.” When defendant’s counsel affirmed

that he and defendant “came to the decision” after speaking “on more than one occasion” and

advising defendant “of everything,” the court accepted defendant’s jury waiver.

¶7 B. Bench Trial

¶8 The matter proceeded to a bench trial in January 2025. Before evidence was

-2- presented, the State informed the trial court that because defendant had a prior conviction for

aggravated kidnapping and was in custody at the time of the instant offense, he was eligible for an

extended sentence of 3 to 14 years in prison that was required to run consecutively to the sentence

he was currently serving. The State noted it submitted several plea offers to the defense but

received no counteroffers.

¶9 Defendant’s counsel acknowledged he spoke to defendant about the State’s offers

and the possibility he might receive an extended-term sentence but relayed that defendant still

wanted to pursue a trial. Accordingly, the trial court admonished defendant that if he proceeded to

trial, he faced a possible prison term of 3 to 14 years running consecutively to the term he was

currently serving. Defendant noted he understood and wanted to proceed.

¶ 10 The bench trial commenced thereafter. The State presented the testimony of

Hendricks, Michael Downs, and Johnson, and the evidence is summarized as follows.

¶ 11 On October 10, 2023, Hendricks, Downs, Johnson, and Chad Toops—each

employed as corrections officers for DOC and wearing DOC uniforms—approached a cell housing

defendant and Paul Phillips to investigate an odor of something burning. According to Downs,

correctional officers generally were the only individuals permitted to be with inmates at their cells.

After observing smoke billowing out of the cell, they opened it. Inside, defendant was lying down

on the top bunk of the bed, and Hendricks observed Phillips grab suspected contraband from a

shelf and throw it in the toilet. Hendricks entered the cell and stepped toward Phillips to prevent

him from flushing the toilet. As he did so, Phillips tried to strike him but missed, and Hendricks

“bear-hugged” Phillips to restrain him.

¶ 12 Phillips then yelled to defendant for help, at which point defendant “came off the

top bunk.” Hendricks testified when defendant did so, he “basically gave me an elbow drop to the

-3- back of my head, hit me—drove his elbow right to the back of my head.” Hendricks acknowledged

he did not observe defendant come off the bunk because he was wrestling with Phillips. He also

did not observe defendant hit him, but he felt something “pointy and *** hard” strike him in the

back of the head. Downs and Toops then grabbed Phillips and directed him to the bed while

Hendricks took defendant “to the ground.” Downs testified because his face was in the bed while

trying to restrain Phillips, he “didn’t see really much what had happened” and only “assumed”

defendant got off the bunk.

¶ 13 Johnson testified that when he entered the cell, he observed Downs and Toops

restraining Phillips while Hendricks was on top of defendant on the ground. Johnson moved to

assist Hendricks, who appeared to be winded, and told him, “Hey, I got this.” Hendricks moved

away from defendant to the ground behind Johnson. According to Johnson, at that point

defendant’s arms were underneath him. He placed defendant’s left hand in handcuffs and rolled

him over to secure his right arm. Defendant, who was facing Johnson, swung at him with his right

hand, striking his left shoulder and causing it to bruise. Johnson eventually placed defendant’s

right arm in the handcuffs, and defendant was escorted out of the cell.

¶ 14 The defense presented the testimony of Phillips and defendant. According to

Phillips, prior to the altercation, the power was out in several cells, including his and defendant’s.

When the corrections officers arrived at the cell to investigate, defendant was asleep on the top

bunk of the bed. Hendricks told Phillips he needed to step out of the cell so a search could be

conducted, but Phillips refused to leave.

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Bluebook (online)
People v. Terry, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-terry-illappct-2026.