People v. Anderson
| Decision Date | 27 May 1971 |
| Docket Number | No. 39513,39513 |
| Parties | The PEOPLE of the State of Illinois, Appellee, v. Arthur ANDERSON, Appellant. |
| Court | Illinois Supreme Court |
Elmo E. Koos, Peoria, appointed by the court, for appellant.
William J. Scott, Atty. Gen., Springfield, and Robert S. Calkins, State's Atty., Peoria , for the People.
A jury in Peoria County found defendant guilty of the murder of Marjorie Hurd. He was sentenced to a term of 80 to 85 years in the Illinois State Penitentiary. Constitutional questions being involved, the appeal was taken directly to this court. 43 Ill.2d R. 603, Ill.Rev.Stat.1969, S.H.A. ch. 110A, § 603.
In two separate indictments defendant was charged with having murdered Dorrie Cooley and Marjorie Hurd on September 20, 1964. The State elected to try defendant first for the murder of Dorrie Cooley. This trial resulted in a hung jury.
Following the return of the two indictments by the grand jury, the cases were continued to October 9, 1964, to permit defendant to obtain counsel of his own choosing. On that date defendant informed the court he was unable to obtain counsel and the public defender was appointed to defend him. By the same order all motions were directed to be filed by October 26. On that date defendant's motions to quash were heard and denied, the defendant entered his pleas of not guilty and the cases were continued to November 16, 1964, for trial. The docket reflects that there were no proceedings in either case on November 16 but on November 17 on defendant's motion the cases were continued to January 11, 1965 for trial. On December 22, 1964, defendant moved for the appointment of different counsel and on December 23 the attorney now representing defendant was appointed and the public defender withdrew. Both cases were then again set for trial on January 11, 1965. In response to a motion by the defendant the State elected to try defendant first for the murder of Dorrie Cooley. Following the hung jury in the Cooley trial both cases were set for trial on March 22, 1965. On March 5 again in response to defendant's motion the State elected to try defendant for the murder of Marjorie Hurd. On March 19, 1965, defendant filed his motion for discharge alleging that more than 120 days had passed since his incarceration on September 20, 1964. The court denied the defendant's motion on March 22 and the next day the trial of defendant for the Hurd murder commenced resulting in the conviction reported above. Defendant has raised numerous points on this appeal. We will first consider his contention that he was deprived of his right to a speedy trial.
The record discloses that the defendant himself had sought and obtained a continuance and that the delay was caused by his own action. Accordingly, his right to be tried within 120 days after being taken into custody was not violated. (Ill.Rev.Stat.1963, ch. 38, par. 103--5; People v. Bagato, 27 Ill.2d 165, 188 N.E.2d 716.) The case had been set for trial on November 16. For some unexplained reason no action was taken on that date but on the next day, November 17, on the motion of the defendant the case was continued for trial to January 11, 1965. The record indicates that following the motion for continuance made by defendant's counsel, the court inquired of the defendant, himself, as follows:
The defendant replied, 'Yes sir.' The court repeated, 'Is that your desire?' Again the defendant said, 'Yes sir.'
Clearly, the case was continued until January 11, 1965, on the motion of the defendant and the trial for the murder of Marjorie Hurd was commenced on March 23, 1965, less than 120 days thereafter.
Another procedural point raised by defendant will be considered before discussing the evidentiary aspects of the case. Defendant claims he was denied due process of law and equal protection of the law in violation of the State and Federal constitutions when the trial court denied his motion for a free transcript of the testimony taken at his trial for the murder of Dorrie Cooley which resulted in a hung jury. The defendant never requested that he be furnished with a transcript of the Cooley trial in the Hurd case. After the Cooley trial defendant's counsel filed a motion in that case requesting a transcript of the proceedings of the first trial, contending that since he would have to try that case again the transcript would be necessary for his preparation for the second trial. The trial court denied his motion. Subsequently, the State elected to try the defendant for the Hurd murder. The case was assigned to a different judge for trial. Defendant now claims his motion for a transcript should have been filed and docketed in both the Cooley case and the Hurd case but was erroneously filed in only the Cooley case. The record does not support this contention. During a hearing on preliminary matters before the Hurd trial started the State's Attorney stated he knew that defendant's counsel had ordered a portion of the testimony of the Cooley trial and that due to that court reporter's illness she may not have the testimony typed in time for this trial. It was only then that defense counsel informed the court that he had requested the free transcript in the Cooley case which request had been denied. He indicated he had not intend to renew his motion in this case because he did not want to do anything that could be construed as causing a delay and thus interrupt the running of the 120 days. He further stated that he had ordered 'certain matters' from the reporter for which he had paid. The court informed counsel that he should inform the court of the amount expended and the court would have him reimbursed. Counsel then informed the court that the amount had not been totally computed and that there would be further expenditures. It is clear from the cross-examination of at least some of the State's witnesses that counsel did have their testimony from the previous trial. Counsel has not advised this court as to what part of the transcript of the previous trial, if any, he did not have or in what manner his client has been prejudiced by the refusal of the court in the Cooley case to provide the transcript of the testimony. Under these circumstances we will not reverse the conviction in this case because of a technical error in the court's refusal in the previous case to furnish a free transcript.
The evidentiary aspects of the case are as follows. The alleged murders occurred in the restaurant of a motel-restaurant business property in Peoria Heights early in the morning of September 20, 1964. Two days before the occurrence, defendant, Arthur Anderson, had rented a room in the motel. Marjorie Hurd and Dorrie Cooley also lived in the motel. About 4:00 A.M. Marjorie Hurd and Dorrie Cooley came into the restaurant. They started a card game with the proprietor, Shirley Purham, and her brother, Agnew McDonald. Later a fifth person, Willie Venable, entered the restaurant and he took Dorrie Cooley's chair in the card game and she sat at the counter. The defendant then arrived entering through the back door and stood facing Mrs. Purham. He asked Dorrie Cooley for some money she owed him and told her he would give her four minutes to get it and left. He returned shortly and again demanded money from Dorrie Cooley. Mrs. Purham testified that she heard a shot and looked up and saw a gun in defendant's hand. Marjorie Hurd placed her arm around Dorrie Cooley's neck and exclaimed, 'Oh my God, he's shot her.' Whereupon defendant said, 'I am going to kill you too, bitch.' Two more shots were then fired. Mrs. Purham testified she heard the shots, saw the defendant with the gun in his hand and saw Marjorie Hurd fall. Willie Venable and Agnew McDonald, the other two persons present, testified substantially the same except they had run outside before the shots were fired that killed Marjorie Hurd. Following the shooting defendant left by the rear door and drove away. About 10 o'clock that night defendant was arrested at a gasoline station when he called a taxicab to take him to meet a train in Chillicothe.
On September 27, two boys found a .45 Colt automatic in some brush. They gave it to the father of one of the boys who in turn gave it to the police. The witnesses testified it looked like the gun the defendant had in his hand the night of the shooting. The gun, three spent cartridges found at the scene of the shooting and three slugs were delivered to a supervisor of the Illinois State Crime Laboratory. One of the slugs was taken from the wall of the restaurant, one was on the floor of an adjacent room, and one was found on the hospital cot on which Marjorie Hurd had been lying. The crime laboratory supervisor conducted test firings with the gun and testified that the slugs found and the ones he test-fired were fired from the same gun. He testified to the same effect as to the spent cartridges found at the scene of the shooting and those which he test-fired.
Defendant complains that the trial court limited his right to cross-examine certain witnesses, thereby violating his constitutional right to due process of law. This court has long adhered to the proposition that the trial court has discretion to restrict the scope of cross-examination. (People v. McCain, 29 Ill.2d 132, 193 N.E.2d 784.) Considerable latitude is always allowed in cross-examination of witnesses but the scope of such examination is largely in the sound discretion of the court. (People v. Gambony, 402 Ill. 74, 83 N.E.2d 321.) The...
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