People v. Beathea

• Decision Date: 26 November 1974
• Docket Number: No. 58098,58098
• Citation: 321 N.E.2d 458,24 Ill.App.3d 460
• Parties: PEOPLE of the State of Illinois, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Mattie Louise BEATHEA, Defendant-Appellant.
• Court: United States Appellate Court of Illinois

Page 458

321 N.E.2d 458

24 Ill.App.3d 460

PEOPLE of the State of Illinois, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Mattie Louise BEATHEA, Defendant-Appellant.

No. 58098.

Appellate Court of Illinois, First District, Second Division.

Nov. 26, 1974.

James J. Doherty, Public Defender of Cook County for defendant-appellant; Shelvin Singer, Chicago, of counsel.

Bernard Carey, State's Atty. of Cook County for plaintiff-appellee; Patrick T. Driscoll, Jr., Jerald A. Kessler, Chicago, of counsel.

STAMOS, Justice.

Mattie Louise Beathea, defendant, was found guilty after a bench trial of the crime of voluntary manslaughter in violation of Section 9--2(a) of the Criminal Code (Ill.Rev.Stat.1971, ch. 38, par. 9--2(a)). She was sentenced to a term of one to three years. Defendant appeals, arguing (1) that the evidence was insufficient to establish her guilt beyond a reasonable doubt; (2) that the preliminary hearing testimony of Emily Turner, who had died prior to trial, was improperly admitted at trial; (3) that she did not knowingly and understandingly waive her right to a trial by jury; and (4) that she was denied equal protection of the law when the trial judge refused her request to be placed on the work release program on the basis that such programs are available only to Men.

At trial, Theresa Martin, the sister of Emily Turner, testified that on June 19, 1971, at approximately 8:45 P.M., she left her apartment at 218 E. 43rd Street, Chicago, Illinois, and went to the front of the building to get her children who were outside playing. Present were Emily Turner, Robert Fleming and Charles Thompson. Emily Turner went to the corner drug store. Thereafter, defendant came out of the building and asked where the short lady was who had been arguing with her daughter. Charles Thompson asked defendant what she wanted and several words were exchanged. Theresa Martin and Charles Thompson walked down the street to meet Emily Turner as she came out of the store. As the three of them returned to 218 E. 43rd Street, defendant was standing in front of the building. Emily Turner and defendant began talking. Defendant said, 'Do you want to whip my two daughters?' Emily Turner replied that she did not want to argue with her but that she wanted to tell her what her daughter had said. Defendant slapped Emily Turner and a fight ensued. Defendant took out a knife and attempted to stab Emily Turner, cutting her dress. Charles Thompson intervened and said, 'Why don't you try to talk it over?' Defendant then shoved Thompson back onto a car and stabbed him in the chest. Thompson did not have a weapon.

Over defense objections, the preliminary hearing testimony of Emily Turner was admitted into evidence. Emily Turner had died on January 11, 1972, and was therefore unavailable to testify. At the preliminary hearing, Emily Turner had testified that on June 19, 1971, she came out of a drug store at 43rd near Indiana and met Charles Thompson and Theresa Martin. The three of them proceeded to 218 E. 43rd Street where they met the defendant. Defendant struck her and attempted to stab her. Charles Thompson stepped in between them and attempted to stop the fight. Defendant pushed Thompson down on a car and stabbed him in the chest. Charles Thompson did not have a weapon in his possession.

Robert Fleming testified in substantial accord to Theresa Martin and Emily Turner.

Albert Fitzpatrick, a Chicago Police officer, testified that in the evening hours of June 19, 1971, he responded to a call and proceeded to 218 E. 43rd Street, Chicago, Illinois. There he observed a group of people in the street and a man lying on the sidewalk, bleeding from his chest. He interviewed Emily Turner, Robert Fleming and Theresa Martin. Emily Turner appeared to have been drinking. Pursuant to information received from these people, he proceeded to defendant's apartment where he informed her that there had been a stabbling in front of the building. Defendant admitted that she had done the stabbing. Defendant was transported to the police station where she was advised of her constitutional Miranda warnings. Thereafter, defendant stated that she and Emily Turner had an argument in front of the building because Emily Turner had been calling her children vicious names. As they were arguing, the deceased, Charles Thompson, interceded and was stabbed. Defendant stated that she had taken the weapon back to her apartment, washed it and put it on the kitchen shelf. Defendant did not state that she received any physical injury as a result of the altercation. Police officers went back to defendant's apartment where the knife was recovered.

William Jannotta, a Chicago Police investigator, testified that on June 19, 1971, he was assigned to the stabbing of Charles Thompson. Pursuant to his investigation, he interviewed Emily Turner, Robert Fleming and Theresa Martin. Emily Turner appeared to have been drinking. He also interviewed the defendant. After defendant was given her constitutional Miranda warnings, defendant stated that she had been arguing with Emily Turner in front of the building and as she started to return to her apartment, the deceased stopped her and attempted to grab the knife that she had in her hand. During the struggle, the deceased was cut.

It was stipulated that if Dr. Jerry Kearns, the coroner's pathologist, were called to testify, he would state that on June 20, 1971, he performed an autopsy on the body of Charles Thompson. In his opinion, Charles Thompson died of a stab wound to the chest and heart.

It was also stipulated that if George N. Christopoulos, the coroner's toxicologist were called to testify, he would testify that an analysis of the blood of Charles Thompson showed the presence of .229 milligrams of ethanol.

Defendant testified that on June 19, 1971, between 8:30 and 9:00 P.M., her daughter, Rita Griggs, came to her apartment and told her that Emily Turner had been swearing at defendant's children. She testified that she then went to the front of her building with Mrs. Lamb and her two daughters, Rita Griggs and Mary Louise. Shortly thereafter, Emily Turner returned to the building and defendant asked her why she had slapped and cursed her children. Emily Turner laughed and said, 'Those damn bitches.' Defendant testified that, as she turned to go back into the building, Charles Thompson grabbed her arm, struck her and knocked her to the ground. He hit her in the face twice and kicked her on the leg. Defendant stated that she had a knife in her pocket which she had brought from her apartment. During the fight someone said that Charles Thompson had a knife, though she herself at no time saw a knife in the hands of Charles Thompson. She took her knife out of her pocket and stabbed the deceased once in the chest. She then returned to her apartment and called the police.

Rita Griggs and Mary Louise Beathea, the defendant's daughters, testified in substantial accord with the defendant's testimony. They stated that they observed a knife in the hand of Charles Thompson.

Defendant's first contention is that she was not proven guilty of voluntary manslaughter under par. 9--2(a) beyond a reasonable doubt. Defendant reasons that the evidence presented at trial gives rise to only two possible findings; either defendant was guilty of murder or the killing was justificable by reason of self-defense. Defendant argues that the evidence adduced by the State was totally insufficient to establish that she was acting under sudden and intense passion resulting from serious provocation. Voluntary manslaughter is defined by Section 9--2(a) of the Criminal Code (Ill.Rev.Stat.1971, ch. 38, par. 9--2(a)), which states:

A person who kills an individual without lawful justification commits voluntary manslaughter if at the time of the killing he is acting under a sudden and intense passion resulting from serious provocation . . .

The sufficiency of the provocation to cause a sudden and intense passion is a matter to be determined by the trier of fact. (People v. Stowers, 133 Ill.App.2d 627, 273 N.E.2d 493; People v. Binion, 132 Ill.App.2d 257, 267 N.E.2d 715.) One of the categories of serious provocation which has been well recognized is substantial physical injury or assault. People v. Clark, 15 Ill.App.3d 756, 305 N.E.2d 218.

In the case at bar, the evidence established that the defendant and Emily Turner were arguing in front of a building at 218 E. 43rd Street when Charles Thompson intervened. There was evidence that both Thompson and Turner had been drinking on the evening in question. By defendant's own testimony, Charles Thompson struck her in the face several times, knocked her to the ground and kicked her leg. Defendant testified that, as she was pushed up against the car, she took a knife and stabbed Thompson once in the chest. Several witnesses testified that Thompson did not have a weapon. Under these circumstances, the trial court, acting as trier of fact, had ample evidence from which to conclude that the defendant was provoked by physical attack and was under a sudden and intense passion resulting from serious provocation by the deceased. (See People v. Jenkins, 10 Ill.App.3d 995, 295 N.E.2d 587; People v. Rodriguez, 129 Ill.App.2d 1, 262 N.E.2d 815.) A reviewing court will not reverse a finding of guilt of voluntary manslaughter unless the evidence is so unsatisfactory or improbable as to justify a reasonable doubt as to the defendant's guilt. People v. Love, 10 Ill.App.3d 554, 294 N.E.2d 737.

Defendant next contends that the use of the preliminary hearing testimony of Emily...