People v. Van Dyk

352 N.E.2d 327, 40 Ill. App. 3d 275, 1976 Ill. App. LEXIS 2755
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedJune 11, 1976
Docket62391
StatusPublished
Cited by19 cases

This text of 352 N.E.2d 327 (People v. Van Dyk) 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. Van Dyk, 352 N.E.2d 327, 40 Ill. App. 3d 275, 1976 Ill. App. LEXIS 2755 (Ill. Ct. App. 1976).

Opinion

Mr. PRESIDING JUSTICE LORENZ

delivered the opinion of the court:

After a bench trial, defendant was convicted of driving a vehicle while under the influence of intoxicating liquor. (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1975, ch. 95½, par. 11 — 501.) He was fined $100, and his driver’s license was revoked. (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1975, ch. 95½, par. 11 — 501(i).) Thereafter, he filed a post-trial motion for a judgment of acquittal, which was denied. On appeal, he contends that the State’s witness, who was permitted several times to refer to a vehicular report for the purpose of refreshing his memory while testifying, did not have a sufficient present recollection of the pertinent facts to support his conviction.

The following facts pertinent to this appeal were adduced at trial.

For the State

John Partipilo

He has been a Chicago Police Officer since 1956. At the beginning of direct examination, the following exchange involving him, Assistant State’s Attorney Strojny, and the court occurred:

“Strojny: Officer, do you have a present recollection—
Partipilo: No, sir.
Strojny: —of the facts surrounding this case?
Partipilo: I have some, but others I can’t recall.
Strojny: Is there anything in the courtroom that would refresh your memory?
Partipilo: My record of vehicular — the report I made out at that time.
The Court: Commonly called the visual.
Partipilo: Yes, sir.
The Court: All right, Officer, you can read from that to refresh your recollection, then, you can put it down, turn it over when you put it down, and then recite what you referred to, and if you’re stuck, pick it up again.”

After refreshing his recollection, Officer Partipilo testified that on November 18,1974, at about 2:30 a.m., he was in a patrol car proceeding northbound on Lake Shore Drive at a point where there are four lanes in each direction. The weather conditions were good and the traffic light. About 50 feet ahead, he noticed another northbound car that was changing lanes excessively. The car had moved from the extreme inside lane to the next inside lane and back approximately nine times. He signalled the car to stop. After alighting from his own vehicle, Officer Partipilo approached the car and requested that its driver, defendant, step outside. He requested defendant’s driver’s Acense and inquired about his inordinate lane changing. When defendant denied that he had been moving from lane to lane, Officer Partipilo detected a strong odor of alcohol on defendant’s breath. He then asked whether defendant had been drinking.

At this point, Officer Partipilo found it necessary to refer to his vehicular report again. He then resumed testifying saying that only after six requests did defendant produce his driver’s license. Defendant’s face was pale, his attitude cocky, and his walking wobbly. After again consulting the report, he testified that defendant’s voice was slurred, his clothing disheveled, and his ability to stand impaired. Defendant refused to take a breathahzer test after being advised of his impfied consent rights.

In his experience as a policeman, Officer Partipilo has had the opportunity to observe between 500 and 600 people who were under the influence of intoxicating liquors, and, in his opinion, defendant was intoxicated. On the basis of his opinion, he arrested defendant, advised him of his constitutional rights, and transported him to the district police station in the patrol car. At the police station, defendant needed assistance in cAmbing the stairs.

On cross-examination, Officer Partipilo was unable to repeat his observations concerning defendant’s walking and balance without referring to his vehicular report.

For defendant

John Van Dyk, defendant

He is a manager for a men’s clothing store. On the morning of November 18, 1974, at about 2:30 a.m. he was driving northbound on Lake Shore Drive when his car was stopped by Officer Partipilo. He did not produce his driver’s Acense immediately when requested because he wanted to ascertain why his car had been stopped. He recaUed that Officer Partipilo requested him to produce his driver’s Acense several times. He stated that before complying with the officer’s request, he “was talking to the officer trying to see if [he] could get a pass.” In his opinion, upon aAghting from his car, his walking was “pretty darn good.” He speculated that, while driving on Lake Shore Drive, he might have strayed from the extreme right-hand lane on turns. However, he felt that he had done “everything right in driving.”

Bruce Lustig

He works with defendant. On the morning of November 18, 1974, at about 4 a.m., he went to the district pohce station to help defendant make bail and saw defendant there. At that time, he observed defendant’s walking and coordination to be normal and considered defendant to be sober. He was not with defendant, however, when his vehicle had been stopped.

At the close of all the evidence, the court found defendant guilty of driving a vehicle while under the influence of intoxicating liquor. He was fined *100, and his driver’s license was revoked. Thereafter, defendant filed a post-trial motion for a judgment of acquittal, contending that the State’s witness did not have a sufficiently independent present recollection of the pertinent facts to support his conviction. The court expressed a willingness to grant a new trial on the basis of defendant’s contention, but denied the motion for a judgment of acquittal. From the denial of this motion he appeals.

Opinion

Defendant contends that after refreshing his memory from his report on several occasions, the State’s witness did not possess a sufficient present recollection of the pertinent facts to support a conviction.

Initially the State argues that defendant has failed to preserve this contention for review by failing to file a motion for a new trial which contained the contention. Article 116 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963 provides for two types of post-trial motions, a motion for a new trial and a motion in arrest of judgment. (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1975, ch. 38, par. 116 — 1 and 116 — 2.) Defendant’s post-trial motion was captioned “motion for judgment of acquittal.” Since the instant motion did not address the insufficiency of the charge nor the court’s jurisdiction, it cannot be considered a motion in arrest of judgment. Moreover, during the hearing on the instant motion, defendant’s counsel specifically rejected the trial court’s offer to order a new trial and stated “It’s not a motion for a new trial. It’s a motion for judgment of acquittal, Your Honor.”

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
352 N.E.2d 327, 40 Ill. App. 3d 275, 1976 Ill. App. LEXIS 2755, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-van-dyk-illappct-1976.