The People v. Boozer

145 N.E.2d 619, 12 Ill. 2d 184, 1957 Ill. LEXIS 346
CourtIllinois Supreme Court
DecidedSeptember 20, 1957
Docket34372
StatusPublished
Cited by29 cases

This text of 145 N.E.2d 619 (The People v. Boozer) 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. Boozer, 145 N.E.2d 619, 12 Ill. 2d 184, 1957 Ill. LEXIS 346 (Ill. 1957).

Opinion

Mr. ChiEE Justice Davis

delivered the opinion of the court:

The defendant, indicted for the sale of five capsules of heroin to Louis Johnson, brought this writ of error to reverse the judgment of the criminal court of Cook County, wherein he was found guilty by the court of the unlawful sale of narcotic drugs in violation of the Uniform Narcotic Drug Act, and sentenced to the penitentiary for not less than three, nor more than eight, years. Ill. Rev. Stat. 1955, chap. 38, pars. 192.2, 192.23.

Prior to the trial on the merits, the defendant filed a written motion to suppress certain evidence which he alleged had been obtained as the result of an illegal search and seizure in violation of his constitutional rights. After hearing, the court denied the motion and the defendant urges error in this ruling. The defendant testified in support of the motion and also called officers Florian Cecil and Edward De Cuir, of the Chicago police department, as his witnesses. These officers testified that on August 15, 1955, Louis Johnson, who had been a narcotic addict for nine years, was arrested for the crime of burglary; that the police questioned him concerning the disposition of certain stolen articles and learned that he had, on various occasions, traded them to the defendant for narcotics; that on August 18, 1955, the police, with Johnson’s consent and cooperation, set up a plan for a controlled purchase of narcotics from the defendant; that the officers first made certain that Johnson had no narcotics about his person, then supplied him with a marked electric clock which he placed in a box; that they then drove to the vicinity of the defendant’s home at 5145 South Dearborn Street and parked their car; that officers Cecil, De Cuir and Gauthreaux walked to the rear of the premises with Johnson; that by prearrangement Johnson was to come out of the house and nod his head when he had “made a buy;” that officer Cecil was stationed near the garage, and officers De Cuir and Gauthreaux remained near the back door; that Johnson entered an enclosed rear porch and then the dwelling proper, and in about five minutes reappeared on the porch accompanied by the defendant, and nodded to officer Cecil, who' then shouted “Get him;” that officers De Cuir and Gauthreaux, followed by Cecil, then sprang upon the porch with their revolvers drawn; that officer De Cuir told the defendant to stand where he was, and officer Cecil asked Johnson, who was standing near the steps, if he “had the stuff;” that Johnson replied in the affirmative, produced from his pocket five capsules containing white powder which he handed to officer Cecil, who then asked Johnson: “Where is the electric clock?” and Johnson replied that it was on the kitchen table; and that officer Cecil then told the defendant he was under arrest.

After all the parties had entered the kitchen, the clock was found on the table, and the defendant, who had been clad in a robe, was ordered to dress. When he had done so the police searched him and found two capsules of white powder in the pocket of his trousers. The police, in the defendant’s presence, then searched the room adjoining the kitchen, a dining room which also served as the bedroom of the defendant and his wife, and found thirty-two capsules of white powder in a plastic jar on a dresser, as well as a brown envelope containing white powder. The powder in the various capsules and the envelope was later analyzed by a chemist at the crime laboratory, and it was stipulated at the trial that if the chemist were called to testify, he would state that the powder in all the exhibits contained heroin. The electric clock, the five capsules produced from Johnson’s pocket, the two capsules from defendant’s pocket, two of the capsules from the jar and the envelope of white powder were all admitted in evidence.

The People contend that the search and seizure were incident to a lawful arrest and that the articles taken in the search were therefore admissible in evidence. The defendant argues that at the time of his arrest, the officers had no reasonable grounds to believe that he had committed an offense; that the arrest without a warrant was therefore unlawful, rendering the search and seizure likewise unlawful and in violation of his constitutional rights. It is the defendant’s theory that he was actually arrested by officer De Cuir before officer Cecil had obtained the package from Johnson. The applicable law is not in dispute. A peace officer has the right to arrest without a warrant, for a crime not committed in his presence, when a criminal offense has in fact been committed and he has reasonable grounds for believing that the person to be arrested committed it. (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1955, chap. 38, par. 657; People v. Kalpak, 10 Ill.2d 411.) To justify such an arrest, the ground for the belief that an offense had been committed and that the person arrested had committed it, must be such as would influence the conduct of a prudent and cautious man under the circumstances. (People v. Galloway, 7 Ill.2d 527, 534, People v. McGurn, 341 Ill. 632, 635, 636.) Where the arrest is justified, the accompanying search without a search warrant is also justified, and evidence taken from the person as a result of that search, if otherwise competent and relevant, is admissible against him. (People v. Kalpak, 10 Ill.2d 411, 426; People v. Clark, 9 Ill.2d 400, 404, 405.) The right of search incident to a lawful arrest has been held to extend to' the surrounding premises under the possession and control of the defendant, (United States v. Rabinowits, 339 U.S. 56, 61, 94 L. ed. 653, 658; Agnello v. United States, 269 U.S. 20, 30, 70 L. ed. 145,148; Carroll v. United States, 267 U.S. 132,158, 69 L. ed. 543, 553; People v. Heidman, 11 Ill.2d 501;) including a public business room, (United States v. Rabinowits, 339 U.S. 56, 94 L. ed. 653,) the home or dwelling (Agnello v. United States, 269 U.S. 20, 70 L. ed 145; People v. McGowan, 415 Ill. 375,) and the vehicle of the person arrested, (People v. Tillman, 1 Ill.2d 525; People v. Tabet, 402 Ill. 93,) provided that the search is made at the time of the arrest. (Johnson v. United States, 333 U.S. 10, 92 L. ed. 436; Agnello v. United States, 269 U.S. 20, 70 L. ed. 145; People v. Kalpak, 10 Ill.2d 411.) In this case the only question raised is the legality of defendant’s arrest. Assuming that the arrest was lawful the defendant does not question the right of the officers to search him or his home in his presence.

The evidence clearly shows that the officers had the right to arrest the defendant without a warrant. The informer, Johnson, was sent into' defendant’s home for the express purpose of making a purchase of narcotics from him. Pursuant to plan, he came out and nodded to officer Cecil, who gave the order to move in. Thereafter all three officers entered the porch almost simultaneously. It matters not which officer made the arrest, nor whether it occurred before or after officer Cecil received the package from Johnson.

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

Related

People v. Columbo
455 N.E.2d 733 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1983)
People v. Clifford
349 N.E.2d 922 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1976)
City of Chicago v. Artoe
336 N.E.2d 112 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1975)
People v. Marquis
321 N.E.2d 480 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1974)
People v. Cole
271 N.E.2d 385 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1971)
People v. Hines
267 N.E.2d 696 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1971)
The People v. Johnson
259 N.E.2d 57 (Illinois Supreme Court, 1970)
People v. Ramos
250 N.E.2d 822 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1969)
People v. Garner
248 N.E.2d 313 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1969)
People v. Shaw
233 N.E.2d 73 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1967)
People v. Pruitt
223 N.E.2d 537 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1967)
The PEOPLE v. Glenn
221 N.E.2d 241 (Illinois Supreme Court, 1966)
The PEOPLE v. Fleming
211 N.E.2d 677 (Illinois Supreme Court, 1965)
People v. Carlton
206 N.E.2d 824 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1965)
The People v. Brinn
204 N.E.2d 724 (Illinois Supreme Court, 1965)
People v. Panozzo
199 N.E.2d 259 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1964)
The PEOPLE v. Peak
194 N.E.2d 322 (Illinois Supreme Court, 1963)
The PEOPLE v. Redding
192 N.E.2d 341 (Illinois Supreme Court, 1963)
The PEOPLE v. Sotos
187 N.E.2d 245 (Illinois Supreme Court, 1962)
The PEOPLE v. Pitts
186 N.E.2d 357 (Illinois Supreme Court, 1962)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
145 N.E.2d 619, 12 Ill. 2d 184, 1957 Ill. LEXIS 346, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/the-people-v-boozer-ill-1957.