People v. Van Gilder

324 N.E.2d 715, 26 Ill. App. 3d 152, 1975 Ill. App. LEXIS 1857
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedFebruary 25, 1975
Docket74-241
StatusPublished
Cited by18 cases

This text of 324 N.E.2d 715 (People v. Van Gilder) 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 Gilder, 324 N.E.2d 715, 26 Ill. App. 3d 152, 1975 Ill. App. LEXIS 1857 (Ill. Ct. App. 1975).

Opinion

Mr. PRESIDING JUSTICE JONES

delivered tire opinion of the court:

Defendant appeals his conviction of burglary (Ill. Rev. Stat., ch. 38, par. 19 — 1) entered upon his negotiated plea of guilty. He was sentenced to a term of imprisonment of not less than 2 nor more than 6 years.

Two issues are raised on the appeal, whether the trial court committed reversible error in failing to determine defendant’s plea of guilty was voluntary and not the product of force, threats or coercion, and whether the 2- to 6-year sentence is excessive.

The record made at the time of entry of defendant’s plea of guilty shows that the trial court fully complied with all requirements for entry of pleas of guilty provided by Supreme Court Rule 402 (Ill. Rev. Stat., ch. 110A, par. 402) except for a specific determination that the plea was voluntary and not produced by any force, threats or promises apart from the plea agreement, as required by Supreme Court Rule 402(b). Defendant properly places reliance on our decisions in People v. Schoate, 21 Ill.App.3d 3, 312 N.E.2d 763; People v. Barker, 15 Ill.App.3d 104, 303 N.E.2d 512; People v. Hendrickson, 11 Ill.App.3d 219, 296 N.E.2d 751; and People v. Kehoe, 10 Ill.App.3d 955, 295 N.E.2d 292. The thrust of our decisions in those cases is that there must be strict compliance with the provisions of Supreme Court Rule 402(b) and any failure therein will result in a reversal and remandment for the taking of another plea.

But the People have called our attention to the recent (November 1974) decision of our supreme court in People v. Ellis, 59 Ill.2d 255. There, the transcript of proceedings at the plea of guilty hearing showed that the circuit court did not inquire of the defendant, in specific terms, whether the plea was induced by any force, threats or promises other than those contained in the plea agreement. Defendant argued that the failure to do so was reversible error. The supreme court rejected the defendant’s position, stating:

“While we do not approve of any failure to comply strictly with the explicitly stated requirements of Rule 402, it does not follow that every deviation therefrom requires reversal. If upon review of the entire record it can be determined that the plea of guilty made under the teims of a plea agreement was voluntary, and was not made as the result of force, threats or promises other than the plea agreement, the error resulting from failure to comply strictly with Rule 402(b) is harmless. People v. Krantz, 58 Ill.2d 187.” 59 Ill.2d 255, 257.

Our review of the entire record here leads to the conclusion that the plea of guilty was in fact voluntary, in accordance with the agreed terms, and not the product of force or threats. While not identical on its facts touching the plea, it is apparent that it is within the compass of the Ellis rule. Defendant was represented by counsel throughout the proceeding, he consulted with counsel by telephone prior to the hearing two or three times, and defendant and his counsel withdrew for further consultation during a recess for the purpose at the plea proceeding. The court’s admonitions were thorough in every respect (other than that as to voluntariness), and the defendant stated that he knew and understood the charges. In response to a question by the court as to what sentence he would get, defendant stated 2 to 3 years, that no one told him that, it was just what he thought.

Not only does the record give every appearance that the plea of guilty was voluntary, defendant neither in the trial court nor here has alleged or suggested that force or threats were used or that the terms of the plea agreement were not followed. His only contention is that the litany of Rule 402(b) was not followed, and it was not. But in view of the holding in the Ellis case and our review of the entire record, we conclude that the error was harmless.

Our departure here from our previous practice of reversing any case where the record disclosed there was a failure to strictly comply with the requirements of Rule 402 is not grounded on the Ellis case alone. In another recent (September 1974) supreme court case, People v. Dudley, 58 Ill.2d 57, 316 N.E.2d 773, the notion that a strict, literal compliance with every facet of Rule 402 is mandatory was rejected. There, the defendant argued that his conviction on a plea of guilty should be reversed because, contrary to the provisions of Rule 402(b), the terms of the plea agreement were not stated in open court. The supreme court agreed with defendant that there was no compliance whatever with the Rule’s requirement that the plea agreement shall be stated in open court. They disagreed, however, that reversal was required, stating:

"It does not follow, however, that the failure to comply with these provisions of Rule 402(b) must result in a reversal of the judgment of conviction. There is no claim that the plea of the defendant, who was represented by counsel, was not voluntary. There is no other claim of harm or prejudice to the defendant. When questioned by the judge the defendant expressed himself as being satisfied with the plea agreement which had been negotiated for him by his attorney, and even now there is no expression of dissatisfaction with the plea agreement’s terms. And finally, there is no contention by the defendant that the plea agreement was not honored — no claim that the sentence imposed was not the one agreed upon. What we observed in People v. Morehead, 45 Ill.2d 326, 332, 259 N.E.2d 8, 11, is appropriate here: It is not the policy of this court to reverse a judgment of conviction merely because error was committed unless it appears that real justice has been denied * * * ’ ” 58 Ill.2d 57, 60-61.

Defendant also contends that the sentence of 2 to 6 years’ imprisonment is excessive and should be reduced.

Defendant does not allege that the sentence imposed did not accord with the terms of the negotiated plea. The terms of the agreement simply were that defendant would enter a plea of guilty and the State would stand on the presentence report and make no recommendation as to sentence. Defendant made an application for probation and tihe hearing on probation, aggravation and mitigation and sentencing was set. At the appointed time, the presentence report prepared by the Madison County probation department was received without change, and neither side presented additional evidence. The record notes that defendant received and reviewed a copy of the presentence report. The court reviewed the report and imposed sentence.

Burglary is classified as a Class 2 felony under the Criminal Code (Ill. Rev. Stat., ch. 38, par. 19 — 1(b)), and the Unified Code of Corrections provides that the available range of sentence for a Class 2 felony is 1 to 20 years (Ill. Rev. Stat., ch. 38, par. 1005 — 8—1(b), (c)). The sentence imposed was within the prescribed range.

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Bluebook (online)
324 N.E.2d 715, 26 Ill. App. 3d 152, 1975 Ill. App. LEXIS 1857, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-van-gilder-illappct-1975.