People v. Tipton

584 N.E.2d 310, 222 Ill. App. 3d 657, 165 Ill. Dec. 131, 1991 Ill. App. LEXIS 2002
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedNovember 27, 1991
Docket1—89—0058,1—89—0092 cons.
StatusPublished
Cited by23 cases

This text of 584 N.E.2d 310 (People v. Tipton) 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. Tipton, 584 N.E.2d 310, 222 Ill. App. 3d 657, 165 Ill. Dec. 131, 1991 Ill. App. LEXIS 2002 (Ill. Ct. App. 1991).

Opinion

JUSTICE McNULTY

delivered the opinion of the court:

After a jury trial, defendant Darnell Tipton was found guilty of two counts of aggravated criminal sexual assault. The trial court vacated one count of aggravated criminal sexual assault, finding that only one act of sexual penetration was alleged. Defendant was sentenced to a maximum extended term of 60 years’ imprisonment. This sentence was to run consecutively with a 90-year sentence imposed in an unrelated case.

On appeal, defendant argues that: (1) during closing argument the prosecutor made comments calculated to draw the jury’s attention to the defendant’s failure to testify; (2) the trial court erred in failing to instruct the jury that the State had the burden of proving beyond a reasonable doubt that the complaining witness did not consent to the sexual activity which occurred; (3) he was denied his sixth amendment right to effective assistance of counsel by defense counsel’s failure to tender jury instructions on the issue of consent; (4) he was denied his sixth amendment right to an impartial jury when the trial court refused to excuse for cause a prospective juror who stated that a past experience might influence her decision in the present case; (5) the trial court erred in allowing the State to introduce prompt complaint testimony; and (6) the trial court erred in ordering that the 60-year sentence imposed in this case be served consecutively with a 90-year sentence imposed in an unrelated case.

At trial, complainant Robert 0. testified that he was arrested on June 8, 1987, for jumping bail on a drug case, and placed in Cook County jail. While in jail on July 20, 1987, 0. engaged in a verbal altercation with another inmate over the use of the telephone. Because of this altercation, 0. was placed in segregation in the same cell with defendant, Darnell Tipton. After putting his personal belongings away, 0. climbed onto the top bunk bed and began reading a book. The lights in the prison went out at 10:30 p.m. but 0. turned on the light in his cell and continued reading. Sometime thereafter, defendant began talking to 0. Defendant told 0. that he was going to “f — ” him in his “ass” and “leg slag” him. Defendant threatened to kill 0. if he did not comply. 0. told defendant he was not that kind of guy. Defendant continued to threaten 0. and told him that he was a member of the Black Gangster Disciples and that if 0. screamed, he would tell his friends in prison to begin yelling in order to stifle O.’s screams.

0. then climbed off his bunk bed and walked to the cell door to see if there was a guard nearby. Defendant then grabbed an object and placed the object at the right side of O.’s throat. Defendant told 0. to pull down his pants. When 0. refused, they argued back and forth. Defendant then placed 0. on his bunk, pulled O.’s pants down and warned 0. not to scream.

Defendant grabbed something off the window sill and lubricated his penis. Defendant then had anal intercourse with 0. for 30 minutes. After ejaculating, defendant got up and told 0. to clean himself off. 0. then climbed back onto his bed and resumed reading. Defendant threatened to kill 0. if he reported the incident.

In the morning, breakfast was delivered to defendant and 0. Defendant took the breakfast, ate both his share and O.’s and again warned 0. against reporting the incident. At 9 a.m. that morning, 0. was removed from his cell to attend a hearing on the dispute that had occurred the previous night over the use of the telephone. 0. testified that on the way to the hearing, he informed Sergeant Codilis about the sexual assault and told Codilis that he did not want to reside in the same cell as defendant. Sergeant Codilis took 0. to the emergency room at Cermak Hospital, where he was examined.

Sergeant Codilis of the Cook County sheriff’s department testified that on July 21, 1987, as 0. was escorted to his hearing, 0. requested to speak with Codilis, who was the supervisor on duty. 0. complained to Codilis that he had been “raped” and added that he did not want to reside in the same cell as defendant. Codilis stated that he noticed abrasions on defendant’s neck and testified that 0. was distraught and cried. Codilis testified that after taking 0. to the hospital, he returned to the jail and searched defendant and defendant’s cell. The search revealed a used tube of Vaseline petroleum jelly but did not reveal a weapon.

Dr. Janice Robinson testified that she examined 0. in the emergency room at Cermak Hospital. She testified that 0. told her that he had been sexually assaulted. 0. spoke in a low voice and held his head low as Dr. Robinson examined him. She described 0. as appearing somewhat embarrassed and depressed. In addition to conducting rectal and oral swabs on 0., Dr. Robinson took samples of O.’s pubic and head hair. The oral swab tested negative but the rectal swab tested positive for semen.

Dr. Robinson also testified that 0. suffered from a recent neck abrasion and an abrasion to the left anterior chest. She testified that the neck abrasion was consistent with some type of object being placed at his neck, but could also have been caused by a blow from a fist, or a fall. She testified that based on her medical training, she believed 0. had sustained the injury within 12 to 24 hours prior to her examination. Dr. Robinson also performed a rectal examination of 0. and testified that she did not observe any injury or trauma to the rectal area.

Detectives Lenard Peterson and Clarence Lewis, both assigned to investigate defendant’s case, testified on behalf of the State that when they first observed 0. after the incident, he appeared emotional and was in tears. The detectives both testified that they noticed a scratch on the right side of O.’s neck.

Thomas Epach testified on behalf of defendant that on July 21, 1987, while he was an assistant State’s Attorney, he engaged in a conversation with 0. Epach initially testified that he did not recall 0. informing him that he had resisted defendant until defendant threatened him with a sharp object. On cross-examination, Epach stated that 0. cried, was upset and visibly shaken. Epach also observed a bruise on O.’s neck.

The jury found defendant guilty of two counts of aggravated criminal sexual assault. Finding that only one crime had been committed, the trial court entered judgment on only one count of aggravated criminal sexual assault. The trial court found defendant eligible for an extended-term sentence based on two prior convictions and sentenced him to 60 years’ imprisonment to be served consecutively with a 90-year sentence imposed in a prior unrelated case. Defendant appeals from both his conviction and sentence.

Initially, defendant maintains that the prosecutor violated his fifth amendment right to remain silent by commenting on his failure to testify at trial. Defendant raises issue with the following comments made by the prosecutor in closing argument:

“[PROSECUTOR]: Mr. [0.] supports their testimony. Mr. [0.] tells you what happened. Tells you that there was no consent. That it was by force and he tells you that there was some kind of object used, some type of object placed against his throat where the mark was. What that object was, an object was not recovered. We’ll never know. Mr. Tipton knows.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Evard v. Monsanto Co.
2025 IL App (1st) 241235 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 2025)
Evard v. Monsanto
2025 IL App (1st) 241235-U (Appellate Court of Illinois, 2025)
People v. Sam
2025 IL App (3d) 200220-U (Appellate Court of Illinois, 2025)
People v. Jones
2024 IL App (3d) 230301-U (Appellate Court of Illinois, 2024)
People v. Bowman
Appellate Court of Illinois, 2001
People v. Ephraim
Appellate Court of Illinois, 2001
People v. Aleman
Appellate Court of Illinois, 2000
Vrzal v. Contract Transportation Systems Co.
728 N.E.2d 722 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 2000)
People v. Omar
666 N.E.2d 383 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1996)
People v. Pendleton
665 N.E.2d 350 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1996)
People v. Tucker
657 N.E.2d 1009 (Illinois Supreme Court, 1995)
People v. Reid
649 N.E.2d 593 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1995)
People v. Martin
648 N.E.2d 992 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1995)
People v. Allen
645 N.E.2d 270 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1994)
People v. Tucker
636 N.E.2d 1067 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1994)
People v. Hobley
637 N.E.2d 992 (Illinois Supreme Court, 1994)
People v. Fort
618 N.E.2d 445 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1993)
People v. Carroll
631 N.E.2d 1155 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1992)
People v. Bobe
592 N.E.2d 301 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1992)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
584 N.E.2d 310, 222 Ill. App. 3d 657, 165 Ill. Dec. 131, 1991 Ill. App. LEXIS 2002, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-tipton-illappct-1991.