People v. Turcios

593 N.E.2d 907, 228 Ill. App. 3d 583, 171 Ill. Dec. 87, 1992 Ill. App. LEXIS 740
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedMay 13, 1992
Docket2-90-0155
StatusPublished
Cited by26 cases

This text of 593 N.E.2d 907 (People v. Turcios) 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. Turcios, 593 N.E.2d 907, 228 Ill. App. 3d 583, 171 Ill. Dec. 87, 1992 Ill. App. LEXIS 740 (Ill. Ct. App. 1992).

Opinion

JUSTICE NICKELS

delivered the opinion of the court:

Following a jury trial in the circuit court of Lake County, defendant, Juan Luis Turcios, was found guilty of two counts of second degree murder of Raul Turcios although he was originally charged with first degree murder, attempted first degree murder of Roberto Mendez, and three counts of armed violence. Defendant’s codefendant and brother, Angel Turcios, was acquitted on all eight original counts in the indictment against both defendants. Defendant received a term of six years’ imprisonment on one of the second degree murder convictions (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1989, ch. 38, par. 9 — 1(a)(2)); eight years’ imprisonment for attempted first degree murder (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1989, ch. 38, pars. 8 — 4(a), 9 — l(aXl)); and eight years’ imprisonment on each of the two convictions of armed violence (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1989, ch. 38, par. 33A — 2), all sentences to run concurrently.

On appeal defendant contends, he was not proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of second degree murder and armed violence with respect to Raul Turcios. He claims he was not proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of attempted first degree murder of Roberto Mendez. Defendant also raises four other issues: whether the court improperly limited defendant’s cross-examination of a witness; whether the jury should have been instructed as to attempted second degree murder; whether his armed violence convictions must be vacated as predicated on the same acts; and whether he is entitled to a credit on his fine.

The State presented several witnesses regarding the shooting that occurred on July 23, 1989, at the intersection of Water and St. James Streets in Waukegan, Illinois. Salomon Andino testified that Raul Turcios (Raul) was Andino’s wife’s cousin; defendant was Andino’s wife’s brother. Raul left the house shortly after 11 a.m. on July 23, 1989. Andino did not see Raul with any alcoholic beverages that morning, nor did Raul appear to have been drinking.

Roberto Mendez’ brother, Carlos Mendez, testified that Raul and Roberto Mendez (Roberto) came to his house about noon that day. They each had one beer and left. Neither appeared intoxicated.

Roberto’s sister-in-law, Daisy Mendez' heard 12 to 14 gunshots a little after noon on July 23, 1989. Then she heard three more shots. Outside she observed Raul lying facedown in the street. Roberto was on the ground with gunshot wounds, and Angel Turcios was hitting Roberto with a baseball bat. Defendant was holding a gun in his hand. Defendant and Angel left the scene in an automobile. Daisy Mendez described the entire incident as one-half hour in duration but also said it lasted an hour and a short time.

After his wife heard shots, Nicholas Alvarez looked out his window and saw a dead man lying in front of a truck. Another man was shooting at a third man who was near the back of the truck. He heard three more shots, and all the shots sounded the same. The police had arrived and about 30 people were around. In addition to the dead man, another man was on the grass across the street. He was bleeding, and someone was hitting him with a baseball bat. Alvarez did not see a gold watch or a gun near the men, and he did not see anyone pick up a gun. He thought the shooting lasted about three minutes.

Jose Mendez, Roberto’s brother, heard quite a few shots, and they sounded the same. He saw Angel Turcios hitting Roberto with a bat. Then Angel got in a car, and the car left. Jose did not see defendant.

Jose David Acosta, Sr., testified that he and his son were driving to work when he saw a pickup truck and a car stopped in front of the truck parked in the street. Acosta, Sr., heard voices and two shots being fired. He saw defendant, who was on the side of the car, shoot at a man, who was by the truck, and the man fell. Angel Turcios ran toward Roberto, and they fought over a bat. Defendant came toward them, and Roberto let go of the bat and fled. Defendant shot Roberto two times. Defendant continued to shoot at Roberto as Roberto ran towards Colon’s grocery store. Defendant held the gun in his right hand in an extended manner, with his left hand holding his right wrist. Roberto kept running towards his house, and defendant continued to shoot at him. Defendant stopped to reload the gun. Defendant shot Roberto and went over to Roberto, who had fallen, and shot at him. Defendant was tranquil during the shooting. Angel hit Roberto several times with the bat. Defendant and Angel left in the car. Acosta, Sr., did not see anyone else with a gun.

During cross-examination, Acosta, Sr., estimated that the incident lasted about seven minutes. He did not see a gun near Raul’s body or any other object when he went over to look after the police arrived.

David Acosta, Jr., was in the car with his father, Jose Acosta, Sr., at the time of the incident. He saw four people outside a car and a truck. The man who later died (Raul) was by the passenger side of the truck arguing with another man whom Acosta, Jr., could not identify. Raul did not have a weapon or a gun but the other man had a gun. He heard shots, and Raul fell to the ground. Acosta, Jr., saw another man, whom he could not identify, with a baseball bat. The man chased Roberto toward the grocery store. The man with the gun shot at Roberto while the other man chased Roberto with the bat.

The man with the gun stopped shooting and ran towards the car. The other man kept hitting Roberto with the bat while Roberto was lying on the grass. Acosta, Jr., did not see a gun lying in the street, nor did he see Roberto with a gun or a bat.

During cross-examination, Acosta, Jr., said he did not see the gun until after the third shot and the man fell. However, he later said the man fell after the second shot and then a third shot was fired. He admitted that he initially told the police some incorrect information about what he saw. Acosta, Jr., said he had translated some of the witnesses’ statements for the police at the scene and he was very nervous at the time of the incident.

Hector Acosta and Cristobal Flores heard gunshots. Flores observed defendant, holding a gun with two hands, shooting at Roberto. Raul was already lying in the street. Otilia Mendez, Roberto’s sister, saw defendant shooting at Roberto after she heard shots fired. The other man was hitting Roberto with a bat.

Regina Haley, a 14-year-old girl, lived one street over from the incident. She observed four Hispanic men standing outside of their vehicles. Defendant was shooting a gun at an unarmed man who was trying to get under the truck. Another man, Angel, was chasing the fourth man with a baseball bat. Haley said that the men had been arguing and defendant got a gun from the car. She was not sure who got the bat.

On cross-examination, Haley said she originally looked over at the men because she heard them arguing and then she saw the shooting. She could not see any of the men really well. After the men left, some people went up to Raul’s body. She was uncertain later on whether defendant went back to the car to get a gun.

Roberto Mendez testified for the State that he came to the United States from Honduras in 1986. He was picked up by immigration but was not deported. He said he posted a bond and left the country because he did not like it.

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

Related

Roldan v. Cicero
N.D. Illinois, 2021
People v. Jackson
2015 IL App (3d) 140300 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 2016)
State v. Jordan
44 A.3d 794 (Supreme Court of Connecticut, 2012)
TXI Transportation Co. v. Hughes
306 S.W.3d 230 (Texas Supreme Court, 2010)
Antoine Toliver v. Donald Hulick
470 F.3d 1204 (Seventh Circuit, 2006)
People v. Kauffman
Appellate Court of Illinois, 1999
People v. Ornelas
Appellate Court of Illinois, 1998
People v. Lara
683 N.E.2d 480 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1997)
People v. Banks
Appellate Court of Illinois, 1997
People v. Lopez
655 N.E.2d 864 (Illinois Supreme Court, 1995)
People v. Torres
645 N.E.2d 1018 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1995)
People v. Rogers
635 N.E.2d 889 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1994)
People v. Files
632 N.E.2d 1087 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1994)
People v. Rodriguez
631 N.E.2d 427 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1994)
People v. Fletcher
625 N.E.2d 1185 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1993)
People v. Cunningham
625 N.E.2d 413 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1993)
People v. Doran
628 N.E.2d 260 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1993)
People v. Clarke
612 N.E.2d 1351 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1993)
People v. Linton
611 N.E.2d 1257 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1993)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
593 N.E.2d 907, 228 Ill. App. 3d 583, 171 Ill. Dec. 87, 1992 Ill. App. LEXIS 740, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-turcios-illappct-1992.