The PEOPLE v. Abrams

271 N.E.2d 37, 48 Ill. 2d 446
CourtIllinois Supreme Court
DecidedJune 24, 1971
Docket41255
StatusPublished
Cited by88 cases

This text of 271 N.E.2d 37 (The PEOPLE v. Abrams) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Illinois Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
The PEOPLE v. Abrams, 271 N.E.2d 37, 48 Ill. 2d 446 (Ill. 1971).

Opinions

Per Curiam:

A jury in the circuit court of Cook County found each of the 11 defendants guilty of violating one or more of the statutes or ordinances under which complaints had been filed. The defendant Arnold Abrams was convicted of selling liquor without a license in violation of the Municipal Code of the City of Chicago and was fined $200. The defendant Florence Levinsohn, convicted on two complaints of aggravated assault and on two complaints of battery, received a sentence of two months on each charge. The sentences were ordered to run concurrently. She was also convicted of disoderly conduct and of interfering with a police officer in the performance of his duties, both violations of the Municipal Code, and fined $200 and $100 respectively on these charges. Convictions of disorderly conduct were entered against the other defendants, Helen Ketterer, Michael Kemper, Maury Lubet, William E. Simpson, Leslie Friedman, Robert Lane, Maxwell Primack, Preston Browning and Russell DuPree. Fines of $200 were imposed against these defendants. Excepting the defendant Helen Ketterer, each of these defendants was also found guilty of interfering with a police officer in the performance of his duties and was fined $100. Constitutional questions raised give this court jurisdiction on direct appeal.

On the evening of April 8, 1967, the Chicago Peace Council and the Student Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam sponsored a "send-off” party which was held at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Arnold Abrams in Chicago. The party’s object was to raise funds for the transportation of the groups’ representatives to New York City, where a march protesting the war in Vietnam was to be held on April 15. Leaflets announcing the date, place, time, charge for admission, and purpose of the proposed party had been placed at several public locations in the neighborhood. The leaflets bore the request “R.S.V.P.” and two telephone numbers were given.

Sergeant Lewis Smith of the Chicago Police Department obtained one of the announcements on April 8 and brought it to the attention of Lieutenant Cassidy at the 21st District Police Station. Early that evening the lieutenant informed Officers Andrew Alinovich and Donald Duffy of the party, gave them the announcement and instructions to go to the Abramses’ house in order, according to testimony given by the police at trial, to make an “investigation and surveillance” and to “discover what was going on there.” The two officers, who were not in uniform, arrived at the Abramses’ house at about 9:15 P.M. They entered the house and purchased two tickets of admission at a table set up just inside the entranceway to the house. The officers did not identify themselves at this time nor were they asked to do so. Upon entering the officers observed two signs taped to a door in the entry hall which read: “Ice 750 — drinks free,” “Cups 300 — beer free,” and “No drinks served to minors under 21 years of age.” They remained in the house for about 10 minutes. They said they observed odors of alcohol on the breaths and from drinking cups of a number of young persons who appeared to be underage.

Upon returning to their car Officers Alinovich and Duffy resumed normal patrol activity for about an hour and then returned to the district station at 10:30 P.M. There they met with Lieutenant Cassidy and Sergeant Smith. After a discussion of “probable violations” of law, the lieutenant instructed Alinovich and Duffy to return to the house. The record is not clear concerning the purpose of this second visit to the Abramses’ house. It cannot be determined whether the officers were instructed to make arrests or whether they were only to continue their investigation. The two officers left the station, and about one-half hour later by pre-arrangement met three other officers near the Abramses’ house. After a brief discussion, the five officers proceeded directly to the house, arriving at approximately 11:5o P.M. No attempt was made at any time to procure a search or an arrest warrant.

As the officers reached the admission table inside the door, they were stopped by either the defendant Florence Levinsohn or by Mrs. Alice Peurala, and were asked if they were police officers. They identified themselves as officers and were then informed that their presence was not desired. Several persons were congregated at the table, including the defendants Mrs. Abrams and Mrs. Levinsohn. The officers were asked if they had a search warrant and were told they could not enter without a warrant. Officer Alinovich testified that he informed Mrs. Levinsohn that a crime had been committed in his presence and that, therefore, no warrant was necessary. According to Alinovich’s testimony, the offense he referred to involved a youth seated at the admission table. At his request the youth handed Alinovich a styrofoam cup, which the officer said contained an alcoholic beverage. The evidence is conflicting as to whether the cup was on the table or in the boy’s hand when first noticed by Alinovich. When the cup was handed to the officer a minor scuffle developed. Alinovich testified that Mrs. Levinsohn, claiming the cup belonged to her, reached for the cup and in her efforts to take it struck him several times. According to the testimony of the officers, Alinovich handed the cup to Officer Hines and then Mrs. Levinsohn struck Hines. Mrs. Abrahams and Mrs. Levinsohn testified, however, that when Mrs. Levinsohn reached for the cup, Officer Hines took hold of her. Mrs. Abrams then, they said, pulled Mrs. Levinsohn behind her. Throughout this incident, Mrs. Abrams and others standing near the door were insisting that the officers leave the house until they had obtained a search warrant.

The argument at the front of the house drew many persons in the interior of the house to the entrance. The scene became one of intense confusion with many persons shouting at the officers. Mr. Abrams and several of the other defendants had forced their way through the crowd to a position where they stood confronting the police. The argument continued and, after a short time, the officers retired to the entrance hallway and blocked off the crowd by dosing the inner door. Other possible exits from the house were blocked and a call for assistance was made by the officers.

After aid had arrived the officers asked Mrs. Levinsohn to step outside. She was placed under arrest on the front porch. While this arrest was being made the defendant Leslie Friedman, the officers said, was interfering with the arresting officer by constantly interjecting in the officer’s conversation with Mrs. Levinsohn. After he failed to comply with several requests by the officers to move aside, Friedman was also arrested. As the police attempted to reenter the house for the announced purpose of finding the youth concerned in the “styrofoam cup” incident, their passage, they testified, was blocked by the defendants Lane, Primack and DuPree, who continued to insist that a search warrant be obtained. They, too, were placed under arrest. The defendants Ketterer, Lubet, Browning, Simpson and Kemper were taken into custody when they locked arms to prevent the entry by the police. Although it is not clear when Abrams, the owner of the house, was placed under arrest, he was arrested that night on a charge of having sold liquor without a license.

The defendants contend that the entries by the officers without a warrant into the Abramses’ house constituted unreasonable searches in violation of the fourth amendment.

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Bluebook (online)
271 N.E.2d 37, 48 Ill. 2d 446, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/the-people-v-abrams-ill-1971.