People v. Trimarco

846 N.E.2d 1008, 364 Ill. App. 3d 549, 301 Ill. Dec. 405, 2006 Ill. App. LEXIS 320, 2006 WL 1009392
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedApril 11, 2006
Docket2-04-1239
StatusPublished
Cited by27 cases

This text of 846 N.E.2d 1008 (People v. Trimarco) 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. Trimarco, 846 N.E.2d 1008, 364 Ill. App. 3d 549, 301 Ill. Dec. 405, 2006 Ill. App. LEXIS 320, 2006 WL 1009392 (Ill. Ct. App. 2006).

Opinions

PRESIDING JUSTICE GROMETER

delivered the opinion of the court:

Defendant, Joseph Trimarco, appeals from an order denying his motion to dismiss the State’s two-count petition to revoke his probation. Defendant contends that the trial court erred because one charge forming the basis of the petition to revoke was nol-prossed, and, following a jury trial, defendant was acquitted of the other charge. Given the outcome of the jury trial, defendant claims that, at the revocation hearing, double jeopardy precludes the State from essentially prosecuting him again for the same charges. For the reasons that follow, we dismiss this appeal for lack of jurisdiction.

On December 9, 2002, defendant pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of cannabis (720 ILCS 550/4(b) (West 2002)), and he was sentenced to 12 months of probation. One condition of defendant’s probation provided that he had to obey all state and federal laws and local ordinances. The State subsequently petitioned to revoke defendant’s probation, contending that, on October 19, 2003, defendant was driving while under the influence (DUI), in violation of section 11 — -501 of the Illinois Vehicle Code (Code) (625 ILCS 5/11 — - 501 (West 2002)), and driving while his driving privileges were suspended, in violation of section 6 — 303 of the Code (625 ILCS 5/6— 303 (West 2002)).

Subsequently, following a jury trial, defendant was acquitted of DUI, and the State nol-prossed the charge of driving with suspended driving privileges. Defendant moved to dismiss the State’s petition to revoke his probation, claiming that, pursuant to People v. Grayson, 58 Ill. 2d 260 (1974), he would be subjected to double jeopardy if the State used the acquitted and nol-prossed charges as the basis to revoke his probation. The trial court denied defendant’s motion and never ruled on the petition to revoke. Defendant now appeals the order denying his motion to dismiss, contending that this court’s jurisdiction over his appeal is governed by Supreme Court Rule 604(f) (210 Ill. 2d R. 604(f)).

Although neither party questions this court’s jurisdiction, we have a duty to examine our jurisdiction sua sponte and to dismiss an appeal if jurisdiction is lacking. In re Alexis H., 335 Ill. App. 3d 1009, 1011 (2002). Generally, subject to certain exceptions, appellate courts do not have jurisdiction to review judgments, orders, or decrees that are not final. People v. Smith, 338 Ill. App. 3d 254, 256 (2003). However, Rule 604(f), the rule under which defendant seeks to appeal, is an exception to this rule {Smith, 338 Ill. App. 3d at 256), and it provides as follows:

“The defendant may appeal to the Appellate Court the denial of a motion to dismiss a criminal proceeding on grounds of former jeopardy.” 210 Ill. 2d R. 604(f).

At issue in this case is whether a probation revocation proceeding is a “criminal proceeding” as that term is used in Rule 604(f). When interpreting a supreme court rule, we must ascertain and give effect to the supreme court’s intent. In re Marriage of Sproat, 357 Ill. App. 3d 880, 881 (2005). In deciding what our supreme court intended, we first should examine the language used in the rule and consider each part of the rule in relation to the rest of the rule. Sproat, 357 Ill. App. 3d at 881. We also should consider the reason and necessity for the rule, the evil to be remedied, and the rule’s purpose. Sproat, 357 Ill. App. 3d at 881. Because construction of a supreme court rule presents a question of law, our review is de novo. People v. Roberts, 214 Ill. 2d 106, 116 (2005).

Our supreme court has considered whether probation revocation proceedings are civil or criminal. On one such occasion, in a case factually similar to this case, our supreme court arguably suggested that probation revocation proceedings are “criminal in nature.” Grayson, 58 Ill. 2d at 265. In Grayson, the defendant pleaded guilty to armed robbery and was sentenced to five years’ probation. Grayson, 58 Ill. 2d at 261. Approximately one year later, the defendant was indicted for a second armed robbery, and, following a bench trial, the defendant was acquitted of that offense. On the basis of the second armed robbery, the State petitioned to revoke the defendant’s probation. The trial court revoked the defendant’s probation, basing its decision on the testimony of the same witnesses who testified at the defendant’s second armed robbery trial, and the defendant appealed.

On appeal, the defendant contended that the State was precluded from seeking to revoke his probation based on the second armed robbery. Grayson, 58 Ill. 2d at 262. Our supreme court agreed. Grayson, 58 Ill. 2d at 265. In reaching that conclusion, the court observed that proceedings may be civil in form but criminal in nature, and that “the individual facing probation revocation may lose his liberty just as swiftly and surely as a defendant in a criminal case.” Grayson, 58 Ill. 2d at 265.

More recently, in People v. Lindsey, 199 Ill. 2d 460, 467 (2002), our supreme court determined that probation revocation proceedings are civil proceedings. In Lindsey, the defendant was placed on sex-offender-specific intensive probation for 4 years and sentenced to 364 days of work release. Lindsey, 199 Ill. 2d at 461. Under the terms of the defendant’s work release, he was to be confined in a public building and released only for public service work and to attend counseling. After the defendant signed out of confinement at unauthorized times, the State petitioned to revoke his probation. At the hearing on the State’s petition to revoke, the State called the defendant as an adverse witness. The trial court subsequently revoked the defendant’s probation and sentenced him.

On appeal to our supreme court, the defendant argued, among other things, that the State violated his right against self-incrimination pursuant to article I, section 10, of the Illinois Constitution (Ill. Const. 1970, art. I, § 10). Lindsey, 199 Ill. 2d at 462. Specifically, the defendant claimed that, at the revocation hearing, the State could not call him as an adverse witness to testify against himself. Lindsey, 199 Ill. 2d at 462. In addressing this issue, our supreme court first noted that the privilege against self-incrimination attaches when a defendant is compelled to testify against himself in a criminal case. Lindsey, 199 Ill. 2d at 462. Thus, a necessary precursor to the application of the right against self-incrimination was the determination of whether probation revocation proceedings are criminal proceedings.

Our supreme court, without any limitation, determined that “a probation revocation proceeding is a civil proceeding,” and, thus, the defendant’s right not to testify against himself was not violated when the State called him as an adverse witness during the probation revocation hearing. Lindsey, 199 Ill. 2d at 467, 471. In reaching this conclusion, our supreme court relied on two cases that the United States Supreme Court resolved in the context of the fifth amendment to the United States Constitution (U.S. Const., amend. V). See Minnesota v. Murphy, 465 U.S. 420, 79 L. Ed. 2d 409, 104 S. Ct. 1136 (1984); Gagnon v. Scarpelli,

Related

People v. Orahim
2019 IL App (2d) 170257 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 2019)
People v. Knapp
2019 IL App (2d) 160162 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 2019)
Rozsavolgyi v. City of Aurora
2016 IL App (2d) 150493 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 2016)
Rozsavolgyi v. The City of Aurora
2016 IL App (2d) 150493 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 2016)
Bituminous Casualty Corporation v. Plano Molding Company
2015 IL App (2d) 140292 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 2015)
People v. Webber
2014 IL App (2d) 130101 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 2014)
People v. Maclin
2014 IL App (1st) 110342 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 2014)
Atkinson v. Schelling
2013 IL App (2d) 130140 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 2013)
Newport Township Road District v. Pavelich
2012 IL App (2d) 111317 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 2012)
People v. Walker
918 N.E.2d 1260 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 2009)
City of Naperville v. Mann
882 N.E.2d 1057 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 2008)
People v. Stefanski
879 N.E.2d 1019 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 2007)
People v. Gilberto G.-P.
873 N.E.2d 534 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 2007)
In re Gilberto G.
Appellate Court of Illinois, 2007
Allianz Insurance Co. v. Guidant Corp.
869 N.E.2d 1042 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 2007)
Somers v. Quinn
867 N.E.2d 539 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 2007)
Medical Alliances, LLC v. Health Care Service Corporation
863 N.E.2d 1169 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 2007)
People v. Trimarco
846 N.E.2d 1008 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 2006)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
846 N.E.2d 1008, 364 Ill. App. 3d 549, 301 Ill. Dec. 405, 2006 Ill. App. LEXIS 320, 2006 WL 1009392, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-trimarco-illappct-2006.