People ex rel. Kubala v. Woods

• Decision Date: 21 March 1972
• Docket Number: No. 43317,43317
• Citation: 284 N.E.2d 286,52 Ill.2d 48
• Parties: The PEOPLE ex rel. Michael KUBALA, Appellant, v. Joseph I. WOODS, Sheriff, Appellee.
• Court: Illinois Supreme Court

Page 286

284 N.E.2d 286

52 Ill.2d 48

The PEOPLE ex rel. Michael KUBALA, Appellant, v. Joseph I. WOODS, Sheriff, Appellee.

No. 43317.

Supreme Court of Illinois.

March 21, 1972.

Rehearing Denied June 23, 1972.

George P. Lynch, Chicago, for appellant.

William J. Scott, Atty. Gen., Springfield, and Edward V. Hanrahan, State's Atty Chicago (James B. Zagel, Asst. Atty. Gen., and Robert A. Novelle and George M. Elsener, Asst. State's Attys., of counsel), for appellee.

GOLDENHERSH, Justice.

Relator, Michael Kubala, appeals from the order of the circuit court of Cook County quashing a writ of Habeas corpus and remanding him to the custody of the sheriff of Cook County for delivery to agents of the State of Michigan pursuant to an extradition warrant issued by the Governor of Illinois upon the requisition of the Governor of Michigan.

Relator contends first that the order of the trial court must be reversed for the reason that the affidavits filed in support of the Michigan requisition were not made before a magistrate as required by 18 U.S.C.A. § 3182 and section 3 of the Uniform Criminal Extradition Act (Ill.Rev.Stat.1969, ch. 60, par. 20) and that the complaints upon which the warrants for his arrest were issued are drawn in conclusory statutory language, do not identify the complainant's sources of information and fail to show probable cause for his arrest. The relevant provision of section 3182 of Title 18 is that the demand for extradition of a fugitive may be supported by 'an affidavit made before a magistrate * * * charging the person demanded with having committed treason, felony, or other crime * * *.' The pertinent provision of section 3 of the Extradition Act is that: 'No demand for the extradition of a person charged with crime in another state shall be recognized by the Governor unless in writing * * * and accompanied * * * by a copy of an affidavit made before a magistrate there, together with a copy of any warrant which was issued thereupon * * *. The * * * affidavit made before the magistrate must substantially charge the person demanded with having committed a crime under the law of that state * * *.'

The record shows that there are two complaints, identical except as hereafter noted. The first complaint, sworn to by James Powell before J. Robert Smolenski, Judge of District Court, 61st Judicial District, City of Grand Rapids, Michigan, alleges that on October 25, 1969, 'Michael Kubala, not having a license as required by law, did unlawfully and feloniously sell, dispense or otherwise dispose of to Robert Roodvoets a narcotic drug, to-wit: a quantity of Cannabis Sativa, also known as Marijuana, in violation of the provisions of Section 18.1122 of Michigan Statutes Annotated, as amended. (M.C.L.A. § 335.152)' In a space provided in the complaint form and headed 'Witnesses (Preliminary Exam)' are listed the following: James Powell, Grand Rapids police officer; Adrian Hoogerheide, Grand Rapids police officer; Victor Gillis, Grand Rapids police officer; Charles Quick, Michigan Department of Health Crime Laboratory, Lansing; an unnamed agent, Board of Pharmacy, Lansing; and Robert Roodvoets. The second complaint alleges an offense on October 29, 1969, and instead of Victor Gillis lists as a witness, Martin Brown, Grand Rapids police officer. Judge Smolenski issued an arrest warrant on each complaint and copies of the warrants are made part of the requisition papers. The complaints and warrants are dated January 20, 1970.

The requisition papers also contain the affidavits of Robert Anderson, the Superintendent of Police, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Robert K. Roodvoets II, James Powell, and Adrian Hoogerheide, all made before Carole N. Edmonds, a notary public. The Roodvoets, Powell and Hoogerheide affidavits were taken on February 4, 1970, and the Anderson affidavit was taken on February 6, 1970.

Roodvoets, in his affidavit, states that he was personally acquainted with Michael F. Kubala, formerly of apartment 4, 216 State Street, S.E., Grand Rapids, Michigan; that on October 5, 1969, he went to the apartment and asked Kubala if he had any 'speed' for sale and Kubala said no; that Kubala said he had some 'grass' for $15 a 'lid'; that he looked at the material and recognized it to be marijuana; that he paid Kubala $15 and received the material in a plastic 'baggie'; that he gave the material to the Grand Rapids police. He also describes another purchase of marijuana from Kubala at the apartment on October 29, 1969. Attached to the affidavit is a Grand Rapids police department 'mug' photograph dated January 29, 1968, which Roodvoets says in his affidavit is a photograph of Michael Kubala.

Powell's affidavit recites that he observed Roodvoets go to the Kubala apartment on October 29, 1969, at 7:45 P.M.; that Roodvoets came out at 7:55 P.M. and gave him a plastic bag; that the plastic bag was turned over to the Michigan Department of Health Crime Laboratory; that the contents of the bag were analyzed by the crime laboratory and found to be marijuana; and that the photograph is the picture of Michael F. Kubala referred to in the affidavit of Robert K. Roodvoets II. The Hoogerheide affidavit is similar to the Powell affidavit and describes the October 25, 1969, sale.

Superintendent Anderson in his affidavit says that he received a telegram from the Hoffman Estates, Illinois, police department and that he believes Michael Kubala is under arrest and in custody in the city of Hoffman Estates, Illinois. Attached to the affidavit is a telegram dated January 22, 1970, from the Hoffman Estates police department informing the Grand Rapids police department that Kubala was fighting extradition, that his court date was February 24, 1970, and that he had been released on $5,000 bond.

There is no question that the affidavits of Roodvoets, Powell, Hoogerheide and Anderson which were made before a notary public rather than before a magistrate will not support the issuance of the rendition warrant. (People ex rel. Coats v. Sain (1962), 24 Ill.2d 248, 181 N.E.2d 179; People ex rel. Rukavina v. Sain (1961), 22 Ill.2d 546, 177 N.E.2d 110; People ex rel. La Rue v. Meyering (1934), 357 Ill. 166, 191 N.E. 318.) It is equally clear that the complaints which were sworn to before the district judge in Michigan are in conclusory statutory language, lack identification of sources, and do not, therefore, show probable cause for his arrest.

Relator's contention that he cannot be extradited because the complaint upon which the warrant was issued does not show probable cause is based principally on Kirkland v. Preston (1967), 128 U.S.App.D.C. 148, 385 F.2d 670. In that case the...