People v. Williams

614 N.E.2d 7, 244 Ill. App. 3d 5, 184 Ill. Dec. 806, 1991 Ill. App. LEXIS 1903
Appellate Court of Illinois·Decided November 8, 1991·No. 1-88-0597·Published·Cited by 3 cases

Opinion

JUSTICE MURRAY

delivered the opinion of the court:

Defendant, Tony Williams (Williams), was charged by indictment with the murder of Jennifer Higgenbottom. Following a jury trial, Williams was found guilty of murder. Subsequently, defendant was sentenced to 40 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections. This timely appeal followed.

On appeal Williams raises the following issues for review: (1) whether the trial court erred in admitting identification testimony when defendant did not have counsel at a preindictment lineup; (2) whether the trial court erred in allowing the State to question the jury pursuant to Witherspoon v. Illinois (1968), 391 U.S. 510, 20 L. Ed. 2d 776, 88 S. Ct. 1770; and (3) whether the jury was properly instructed on felony murder where defendant was not indicted for armed robbery.

The evidence presented at trial indicated that the following events took place.

On November 5, 1985, Jennifer Higgenbottom (Jennifer) lived with her mother, brothers and sisters at 11914 South Lafayette. She had been living with Derrick Smith up until two days earlier. At approximately 9 o’clock in the evening on November 5, Derrick Smith (Smith) arrived at the Higgenbottom residence and asked to speak with Jennifer. Jennifer’s brother, Derrick Higgenbottom, told Smith that she was not home since he knew she didn’t want to speak to him. Smith talked to Herman Higgenbottom about getting a television set that he, Smith, claimed belonged to him. Smith maintained the television set had been removed by Jennifer. Herman didn’t know anything about a television set. The two men argued, and Smith told Herman that he would return with “some guys” and take the television.

Smith left the Higgenbottom residence but returned about a half an hour later. He was accompanied by the defendant, who was carrying a sawed-off shotgun at his side. Both Herman and Derrick Higgenbottom saw defendant get out of Derrick Smith’s car and walk up to their porch. Smith told Herman that he wanted his television set. During the argument Jennifer came to the door. She told Smith to get off her mother’s porch. Jennifer left the door to call the police. Shortly she returned with Michelle Warren. Bonita and Darren Higgenbottom, another sister and brother of Jennifer’s, also saw defendant through the window. Darren also saw the gun in defendant’s hand. The witnesses were able to see defendant’s face since there were lights on inside the house and there was a streetlight on across the street.

The argument continued, and Derrick Smith and defendant said something to each other. Herman was unable to hear what was said since there was so much noise. Defendant then raised his gun and shot through the window of the storm door. Defendant’s bullet hit Jennifer in the face and she fell to the floor. Jennifer died as a result of the injuries sustained by the shot fired at her. Both Herman and Darren saw defendant and Smith run off the porch and get into Smith’s car.

Detective Maslanda arrived at the Higgenbottom home at approximately 10 p.m. to talk with the witnesses. He spoke with them and then began looking for Derrick Smith. The next day the detective went back to the Higgenbottom home and showed an array of pictures to the members of Jennifer’s family. Bonita, Derrick and Herman Higgenbottom viewed the photo array separately. Each person positively identified the defendant as the person he or she saw on the porch with the shotgun. On November 7, 1985, Smith was arrested and a warrant for defendant’s arrest was issued.

On December 13, 1986, defendant was arrested. Detective Pedersen conducted a lineup and had Jennifer’s brothers and sisters view it. The Higgenbottoms each viewed the lineup separately. The five members of Jennifer’s family identified defendant in the lineup. The lineup was conducted without benefit of counsel for Williams.

At trial the State elected to try this as a capital case. This election was premised upon the murder occurring during the commission of a forcible felony. After the jury returned a guilty verdict on the murder charge, the defendant elected to waive a jury for the death penalty proceedings. The State asserted that the murder was committed during the course of committing or attempting to commit an armed robbery. The State argued that defendant was armed and present with Smith when he demanded the television. Defendant also had stated that he wanted his brother’s property. The State’s position was that since defendant was demanding this property while armed with a shotgun, this murder occurred during an attempted armed robbery. Nevertheless, during the death penalty proceedings, the trial judge found that the crime of attempted armed robbery was not proven beyond a reasonable doubt so that the statutory factor did not exist. Defendant was sentenced to 40 years with the Illinois Department of Corrections.

We find no procedural and/or substantive errors in the case, and accordingly, we affirm the conviction and sentence imposed by the trial court.

I

First Williams argues that although he was advised of his fifth amendment rights there was never advice tendered as to his sixth amendment right to counsel. He maintains that the failure to tender these rights or warnings, and the concomitant failure to secure a waiver, violated Williams’ sixth amendment rights, where a lineup was conducted without benefit of counsel. Williams claims that his sixth amendment right to counsel was violated by not providing him with counsel at the time the lineup was conducted. This contention is totally without merit.

The lineup occurred after an arrest on an unrelated charge, 13 months after Jennifer’s murder. Detective Pedersen discovered the outstanding warrant for murder which had been obtained by the police more than one year earlier. Williams was advised of his Miranda rights. He was also informed of the outstanding warrant. Williams agreed to talk to the police officers and participate in a lineup. Williams testified that the police advised him that he had a right to an attorney during questioning but that he had never been informed that he had a right to an attorney during the lineup. Williams never asked for an attorney nor did he state that he did not want to participate in the lineup.

The constitutional right to counsel is guaranteed at the time adversary proceedings are initiated, not during the fact-finding process. The right to counsel attaches with the initiation of adversary proceedings against a defendant and that may occur by formal charge, preliminary hearing, indictment, information or arraignment. (People v. Hayes (1990), 139 Ill. 2d 89, 123, 564 N.E.2d 803; People v. Wilson (1987), 116 Ill. 2d 29, 50, 506 N.E.2d 571, 580.) The sixth amendment’s right to counsel guarantee assures that the accused receives the assistance of counsel when confronted with “the intricacies of the law and the advocacy of the public prosecutor” at trial. (United States v. Ash (1973), 413 U.S. 300, 309, 37 L. Ed. 2d 619, 626, 93 S. Ct.

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People v. Williams, 614 N.E.2d 7, 244 Ill. App. 3d 5, 184 Ill. Dec. 806, 1991 Ill. App. LEXIS 1903 (Ill. Ct. App. 1991).

614 N.E.2d 7 (People v. Williams) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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