People v. Trigg

240 N.E.2d 130, 97 Ill. App. 2d 261, 1968 Ill. App. LEXIS 1236
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedJune 10, 1968
DocketGen. 51,613
StatusPublished
Cited by16 cases

This text of 240 N.E.2d 130 (People v. Trigg) 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. Trigg, 240 N.E.2d 130, 97 Ill. App. 2d 261, 1968 Ill. App. LEXIS 1236 (Ill. Ct. App. 1968).

Opinion

MR. PRESIDING JUSTICE BURMAN

delivered the opinion of the court.

The defendant, William Trigg, and Emil Bratu were charged jointly in an indictment filed on January 18, 1965, with having “committed the offense of sale of purported narcotic drug, in that they unlawfully offered to sell a narcotic drug to Stephen R. Hnatt for lawful money of the United States of America, and then sold to Stephen R. Hnatt a quantity ... of a non-narcotic substance, otherwise than as authorized in the Uniform Narcotic Drug Act of said State of Illinois then in force and effect, in violation of Chapter 38, Section 22-40, of the Illinois Revised Statutes 1963. . . .” The defendant, William Trigg, pleaded not guilty and after a trial was found guilty by a jury. The Court sentenced him to a term of not less than seven nor more than ten years in the State Penitentiary. The defendant has appealed from the finding of guilty and the judgment entered thereon.

The defendant contends on appeal: (1) that section 22-40 does not charge a public offense because said section is headed “Penalties” thereby not adequately apprising a prospective defendant as to what conduct on his part will render him criminally liable for its violation; (2) that section 22-40 is violative of article IV, section 13 of the Illinois Constitution in that the title of the section and its subject matter relate to different matters; (3) that the failure of the trial court to grant defendant’s motion for a severance was an abuse of discretion thus denying defendant a fair trial; and (4) that the evidence adduced at trial clearly left a reasonable doubt as to his guilt.

On September 8, 1964, after a meeting arranged by a department informer, Stephen R. Hnatt, an inspector in the Division of Narcotic Control of the State of Illinois, and one Walter Brown, they drove to the intersection of Wellington and Sacramento in Chicago. Brown got out of the car and met with Emil Bratu who was waiting on the corner. After he engaged in a short conversation with Bratu, Brown returned to the car and handed Hnatt a cigarette package containing heroin. Later, on that same day, Hnatt and Brown again drove to the intersection of Wellington and Sacramento. On this particular occasion Bratu threw a bag containing heroin onto the seat next to Hnatt and said, “Can you take more next time ? I don’t like to go through this for just one.” Hnatt replied that if he was satisfied with the heroin he would purchase more the next time, and he handed Bratu $700 in payment.

On September 27, 1964, Hnatt met with Bratu at the Awe-Com-On-Inn at 2165 North Clybourne. Hnatt asked Bratu if the latter could sell him one-half kilogram of heroin. Bratu replied that he could.

On September 29,1964, Hnatt again met with Bratu at the Awe-Com-On-Inn. Bratu requested Hnatt to advance him the money for the heroin, but Hnatt refused to do so. On the same date, Charles Adams, another inspector for the Division of Narcotic Control, who had Bratu under surveillance, observed Bratu leaving a green and white 1958 Buick in front of 3040 West Wellington.

On the evening of September 30, 1964, Hnatt met with Bratu at the latter’s apartment which was located at 3040 West Wellington. Bratu attempted to call his “man,” referring to his source of supply, but failed to get an answer. Later in the evening Bratu received a phone call. After a short conversation, Bratu told Hnatt that he was supposed to meet his “man” on the corner at ten o’clock that evening. He described his supplier as being a man named Bill, a Negro, who lived with a white girl named Audrey at around 84th and Rhodes. After Bill had failed to appear when Bratu thought he was supposed to, Bratu told Hnatt that he had been mistaken and the meeting was set for ten o’clock in the morning.

On the morning of the following day, October 1st, Hnatt and Adams prepared a list of $5,750 in official advance funds at division headquarters, and Hnatt took the money with him on his way to meet Bratu. That same morning Inspector Adams observed the aforementioned Buick in the vicinity of Wellington and Whipple streets; the car appeared to be “cruising” in the area, and was being driven by William Trigg, defendant, with Bratu as a passenger. When Hnatt arrived at Bratu’s apartment the latter told him that he had heard from Bill and he was to meet his supplier in a short time. Whereupon he left the apartment, returning in about fifteen minutes. During the fifteen minutes’ interlude Bratu and Trigg were observed by several division inspectors. They were seen together, driving around the area in the Buick and conversing with each other. After Bratu returned to his apartment he told Hnatt that the arrangements had been completed, and that he was to meet his “man” at 3:00 p. m. at the 50th On The Lake Motel, located at 50th and South Shore Drive on Chicago’s south side. Hnatt agreed to pick Bratu up and to pay half of the money in advance. Bratu gave Hnatt a bottle of opium and an envelope of heroin. He told Hnatt to pay him later in the evening.

The defendant was observed by division inspectors arriving at the motel at about 2:30 p. m. in the green and white Buick which he parked. He seated himself in the motel’s coffee shop and was joined at his table by one Edward Tishel. Around three o’clock Bratu and Hnatt arrived at the motel in the latter’s car and Hnatt parked the car at the rear of the motel’s restaurant, at a spot which could not be seen from the coffee shop. The defendant and Tishel got up. They went outside and seated themselves in the Buick. Shortly thereafter, Bratu, who had already been given the prerecorded funds by Hnatt, walked over and got into the Buick with the other two men. Bratu and the defendant talked for a while. Bratu then got out of the Buick carrying a package wrapped in newspaper under his arm. The defendant sped away. Bratu walked back to Hnatt’s car and gave Hnatt the package he was carrying. He said, “Here’s the thing, man. Bill decided not to rent a room.” Bratu was then placed under arrest. In the meantime, the defendant’s car had been curbed by several Division of Narcotic Control Inspectors. The defendant emerged from the car holding $3,700 of the prerecorded funds in his hand and was arrested. Bratu was found to have $2,050 in his possession.

The package that Bratu handed to Hnatt was found to contain a white nonnarcotic powder. After Trigg had been arrested and taken to the division headquarters, Inspector Paul Hemphill stated to Trigg, “I thought you wasn’t dealing in dope.” Trigg answered, “All they got is a big fat turkey, just wait until they put the acid to it and you’ll see.” Trigg then explained to the inspector that the reason he had sold Hnatt a nonnarcotic substance, referred to as a “turkey,” was that he knew something “was not right,” and that he was “running it through” first to see what would happen.

The first contention raised by the defendant is that the section of the Criminal Code under which he was convicted inadequately informed him that the behavior in which he was engaging was subject to criminal sanctions. The relevant portions of the section in question are as follows:

§ 22-40. Penalties . . .

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Bluebook (online)
240 N.E.2d 130, 97 Ill. App. 2d 261, 1968 Ill. App. LEXIS 1236, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-trigg-illappct-1968.