### 1 2024 IL App (5th) 220299-U NO. 5 -22-0299
IN THE APPELLATE COURT OF ILLINOIS FIFTH DISTRICT

______________________________________________________________________________ THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS , ) Appeal from the ) Circuit Court of P laintiff

- Appellee , ) Champaign County. ) v. ) No. 21- CM -443 ) ESLEY CARTER , ) Honorable ) Ma tthew D

. Lee , Defendant -Appell ant . ) Judge, presiding.

______________________________________________________________________________ JUSTICE WELCH delivered the judgment of the court. Presiding Justice Vaughan and Justice Moore concurred in the judgment. ORDER Held : The conviction of the trial court is affirmed where the evidence was sufficient for a rational trier of fact to find each element of the offense beyond a reasonable doubt and where the court substantially complied with Illinois Supreme Court Rule 401(a) (eff. July 1, 1984) before allowing the defendant to waive his fundamental right to counsel. ¶ 1 This is a direct appeal from the circuit court of Champaign County. The defendant, Esley
Carter , was convicted of resisting a peace officer

. On April 2 9 , 2022, the trial court sentenced him to 2 days in jail and 12 months of conditional discharge

. The defendant appeals, contending both that the evidence was insufficient to co nvict him and that the court failed to substantially comply with Illinois Supreme Court Rule 401(a) (eff. July 1, 1984) before allowing him to waive his fundamental right to counsel

. For the reasons that follow, we affirm. NOTICE This order was filed under Supreme Court Rule 23 and is not precedent except in the limited circumstances allowed under Rule 23(e)(1). NOTICE Decision filed 02/21/24. The text of this decision may be changed or corrected prior to the filing of a Petition for Rehearing or the disposition of the same.

### 2 ¶ 2 I. BACKGROUND ¶ 3 On September 27 , 202 1 , the State charged the defendant with , inter alia , resisting a peace officer in that the defendant knowingly resisted arrest by pulling away from Officer Ashley Butt, whom the defendant knew to be a peace officer engaged in the execution of her official duties. See 720 ILCS 5/31

- 1(a) (West 2020)

. ¶ 4 The charge arose from an incident that took place on September 27, 2021. On that date, the Rantoul Police Department was called to a residence to remove a person for a reported trespass to
prope rty

. The reporting individual advised that her boyfriend, the defendant, was at her residence banging on doors and windows, arguing with her, and refusing to leave

. Once officers arrived at the scene, they identified the defendant sitting in a parked car outside in front of the residence

. Officers spoke with the defendant, determined a crime had occurred, and attempted to place him under arrest, but he remained uncooperative. Event ually, other officers arrived on the scene, and the defendant was assisted out of his vehicle and placed under arrest. The officers’ interaction with the defendant was recorded on body camera footage. ¶ 5 A . T rial ¶ 6 At trial, t he State’s first witness was Offi cer Edgar Garcia, who testified that on September 27, 2021, at approximately 10:04 p.m., he and Officer Ashley Butt responded to a remove subject dispatch at 608 Broadmeadow. Officer Garcia spoke with the woman who lived at the property, and she told him t hat her boyfriend, the defendant, was banging on her doors and windows and refusing to leave the property. While this conversation was ongoing, Officer Butt was speaking with the defendant, who was seated in side his vehicle parked in front of the property. Officer Garcia noticed that their conversation had become escalated, so he approached the vehicle to assist Officer Butt. The defendant refused to exit the vehicle or even to provide his name to Officer Butt.

### 3 As the officers had probable cause for several crimes, they attempted to place the defendant under

arrest. The defendant did not cooperate with these efforts and did not exit the vehicle voluntarily

. Officer Garcia testified that the defendant “pulled away from officers after continuous attempts to

as sist him out of the vehicle” and “braced his feet inside the vehicle to prevent himself from being removed.” Eventually, “several other officers arrived on scene and assisted the defendant out of the vehicle and were able to place him in handcuffs.” ¶ 7 The S tate’s next witness was Officer Ashley Butt. Officer Butt testified that , prior to arriving at 608 Broadmeadow, Metropolitan Computer Aided Dispatch ( METCAD ) had advised the officers that the defendant had left prior to police arrival and was driving a smaller silver vehicle. When the officers arrived on scene, Officer Butt noticed a silver Nissan Versa parked in front of the residence. Officer Butt began to speak with the defendant, who was sitting inside the vehicle. When Officer Butt asked him what was going on and for his name, he became uncooperative. The officers concluded that a crime had been committed and attempted to put the defendant under arrest. Th ey informed the defendant of the charges and asked him to exit the vehicle multiple times, but he refused to cooperate. Officer Butt then reached in side the vehicle window, unlocked the car, and placed a handcuff on the defendant’s left wrist. Officer Butt testified that the defendant continued to ask the officers what crimes had been committed, even after he had been advised of the charges multiple times. After multiple advisements, in response to another questioning by the defendant of what he had done, O fficer Butt responded, “You know what you’ve done.” This entire interaction was recorded on Butt’s body cam, which was admitted as an exhibit and shown to the jurors. ¶ 8 In the video, Officer Butt exit ed her vehicle and approache d the defendant’s vehicle, wh ich

wa s parked in front of the residence. She ask ed for the defendant’s name and whether he was just

### 4 previously at 608 Broadmeadow trying to get ahold of his girlfriend

. The defendant ask ed who Officer Butt wa s and why she wa s talking to him. Officer Butt g ave the defendant her name and told him that she wa s there because they received a call that a male in a silver car was banging on someone’s door. The defendant claim ed not to know anything about the situation. Officer Butt ask ed his name onc e again , but the defendant refuse d to provide it. Officer Butt ask ed what was going on

. The defendant animatedly t old her that he d id not know. Officer Butt ask ed why he was parked in front of the residence , and the defendant responded by asking if it was illegal for him to park there

. ¶ 9 Officer Butt again ask ed what wa s going on. The defendant answer ed that nothing wa s going on and that he parked in front of the residence simply because he c ould. He insist ed that he did not knock on his girlfriend’s door an d claim ed not to know why she called the police. Officer Butt again ask ed for his name, but the defendant claim ed that he d id not have to provide his name because he ha d not committed any crime. Officer Butt inform ed the defendant that she wa s conducting an investigation and that if he fail ed to provide his name, he w ould go to jail for obstruction of identification. The defendant ask ed what crime he ha d committed. Officer Butt responded that he ha d committed disorder ly conduct at the least. The defendant proceed ed to argue with Officer Butt about what constitute d the crime of disorderly conduct. He then ask ed for a supervisor to be present. Officer Butt again ask ed for the defendant’s name, and he continued to refuse to provide it. The defendant then told Officer Butt that he wa s going to get his phone out and record the ir encounter. He again request ed a supervisor. Officer Butt sa id she w ould get a supervisor on scene just as soon as she g ot the defendant’s name. The defendant ask ed what crime he ha d committed. Officer Butt inform ed him that he wa s failing to identify himself, that he wa s

### 5 the suspect of her investigation, and that his girlfriend reported him

. The defendant again ask ed what crime he ha d committed. Officer Butt respond ed that the defendant kn ew what he ha d done. ¶ 10 Officer Butt then ask ed the defendant to exit the vehicle multiple times

. The defendant d id not do so and instead contin ued to request a supervisor. Officer Butt attempt ed to open the driver’s side car door from the outside, but it d id not open. The defendant pull ed out his cell phone, informing Officer Butt that he wa s preparing to Facebook Live record their interaction. Officer
Butt t old him that she d id not care but that he need ed to exit the vehicle because he wa s failing to identify himself. The defendant again ask ed what crime he ha d committed. Officer Butt respond ed that he ha d failed to identify himself. She again ask ed him to step out of the vehicle. He again ask ed what crime he ha d committed. She responded that she ha d already told him that, that he wa s the suspect of her investigation, and that he need ed to identify himself. The defendant ask ed what he wa s suspected o f. She answer ed , “remove subject” and disorderly conduct. The defendant beg an to record on Facebook Live. Officer Butt again ask ed the defendant to identify himself. Instead, the defendant beg an speaking on his Facebook Live. ¶ 11 By this time, Officer Garcia had moved to stand next to Officer Butt. He also t old the defendant to identify himself. The defendant again ask ed what crime he ha d committed. Officer Garcia inform ed the defendant that he ha d committed the crimes of disorderly conduct and harassment via text message. The defendant insist ed that he ha d not committed these crimes and requested a supervisor on scene. Officer Butt again ask ed the defendant to identify himself. Again, the defendant ask ed what crime he ha d committed. Officer Garcia remind ed the defendant that he had just been told. Officer Butt again ask ed for the defendant to step out of the vehicle and identify himself; the defendant again ask ed what crime he ha d committed. Officer Butt t old him that he would be assisted out of the vehicle if he fail ed to step out and identify himself. The defendant

### 6 continued to ask what crime he ha d committed. The officers continue d to remind him that he ha d already been advised of that. ¶ 12 When the defendant revert ed back to asking for a supervisor on scene , Officer Butt t old him that their supervisor wa s en route, but the defendant need ed to exit his vehicle. The defendant refuse d to do so. Officer Butt then reache d into the vehicle and unlock ed and open ed the driver’s side door. The defendant refuse d to step out of the vehicle and instead i nsist ed he ha d not been told what crimes he ha d committed. Officer Garcia t old the defendant that he wa s now also resisting the officers’ verbal commands to step out of the vehicle and identify himself. The defendan t continue d to insist that he ha d not committed any crimes and that the officers ha d not informed him of any crimes he ha d committed. After some back and forth on this subject, Officer
Butt t old the defendant that he wa s about to go to jail. The defendant again ask ed for a supervisor. Officer Butt t old the defendant that until their supervisor arrive d , the defendant need ed to exit his vehicle because he wa s going to be handcuff ed

. She then t old him that he c ould either get out on his own or be assisted out. ¶ 13 After the defendant once again refuse d to exit on his own, Officer Butt grabbed the defendant’s left wrist

. The defendant ask ed what he wa s being arrested for as Officer Butt lock ed a handcuff around his left wrist. Officer Butt repeat ed that the defendant ha d already been told that the charges we re disorderly conduct and harassment, on top of now resisting arrest. The defendant protest ed and denied committing disorderly conduct. Officer Garcia reache d his left arm into the vehicle , grab b ed the defendant’s right wrist, and trie d to pull the defendant out of the car. At first, the defendant wa s very slightly pulled forward

. Then, he appear ed to pull his arm back wards , using force to remain in the vehicle. Due to this force, Officer Garcia t hen used both of his hands to pull the defendant forward. However, the defendant again pull ed himself backwards to remain inside

### 7 the vehicle, appearing to brace hi mself with his feet

. At this time, Officer Butt trie d to take the defendant’s phone from his hands but wa s unsuccessful. Officer Garcia again use d both hands to pull the defendant forward. It wa s clear from the video both that the defendant wa s exerting effort to remain where he wa s and that Officer Garcia had to use some force to overcome th is ef fort and pull the defendant forward

. The defendant again pull ed himself backwards, and in fact, pull ed Officer Garcia towards him. This struggle continue d for some seconds, with Officer Garcia attempting to pull the defendant forward , and the defendant pulling himself backwards. At one point in the video, the defendant’s feet c ould clearly be seen bracing under the steering wheel. ¶ 14 The defendant ask ed what he wa s being arrested for as he pull ed backwards, again pulling Officer Garcia towards him. Officer Ga rcia responded that he ha d already explained the charges to the defendant. Officer Garcia then attempt ed to pull the defendant out with both hands , and the defendant’s feet c ould again clearly be seen bracing under the steering wheel as he exerted effort

t o remain in the vehicle

. Officer Garcia t old the defendant to stop resisting. The defendant

counter ed that he wa s not resisting. Officer Garcia ask ed him what he wa s doing at that moment, if not resisting. The defendant then ask ed what he wa s resisting, and what crime he ha d committed. He insist ed that the officers ha d not yet told him what crime he ha d committed. All this time, Officer Garcia’s hands we re on the defendant’s right wrist , and he c ould be seen futilely pulling as the defendant exerted effort to remain in the vehicle. The officers then entreated the defendant to exit the vehicle as he continue d to ask what crime he ha d committed and insist ed he ha d not committed one. The defendant then again ask ed for a supervisor. ¶ 15 On the other side of the car, another officer wa s seen; he open ed the passenger side car door. A supervisor c ould be heard behind Officers Butt and Garcia introducing himself and instructing the defendant to step out of the car. The defendant d id not do this but instea d ask ed

### 8 why Officer Butt ha d a handcuff on his wrist. Officer Butt inform ed the defendant that she d id so because he was under arrest. The defendant ask ed what he wa s under arrest for. Officer Butt responded that he ha d already been told. The supervisor clarifie d with the defendant whether the officers ha d told him the charges laid out against him. The defendant sa id that Officer Butt ha d cited a couple of charges, but they we re incorrect. The supervisor responded that he would not argue the case with the defendant and that the defendant needed to exit the vehicle at this time. The defendant continue d to argue the merits of the charges against him. Officer Garcia attempt ed to explain that he wa s only making the situation worse. He then t old the defendant that officers could “order you in or out of a car at any opportunity for any reason [they] want to, and it’s an offense for you to refuse to do that.” Officer Garcia once again ask ed the defendant to step out of the car. T he defendant d id not do so but instead play ed on his phone and answer ed a phone call. Officer Garcia again ask ed the defendant to step out of the car, reminding the defendant that he had been asked to do this multiple times. The defendant ignore d Officer Garcia and continue d his phone call. ¶ 16 The defendant then reverted to combatting the merits of the disorderly conduct charge against him and insist ed he wa s being arrested for no reason. Officer Garcia told the defendant that he d id not have to agree with the charges, explain ed the charges once again, and inform ed him that resisting and obstruction charges could be forthcoming if he continued to refuse to exit his vehicle. The defendant ignore d this and open ed Facebook Live on his phone. Officer Garcia quickly grabbed the defendant’s phone from his hand and p lace d it on the roof of the car. Officer Garcia then put both hands around the defendant’s right wrist , and he and Officer Butt pull ed the defendant out of the car with some force. It wa s clear in the video that at least four separate officers

we re present. Officer Garcia t old the defendant to put his hands behind his back, and Officer Butt

### 9 fully handcuffed him

. Officer Garcia reassure d the defendant that all the officers’ body cameras

we re on. The defendant t old the officers that they we re in trouble. The defendant continue d to ask what he wa s being arrested for as the officers escort ed him away and t old him he ha d already been told. The video end ed t here. ¶ 17 The defendant, proceeding pro se , testified in his own defense. He testified that , on the night of the incident, he and his girlfriend, Ms. Post, had gotten into an argument via text message. He informed Ms. Post that he would be drivin g to her resi dence. En route to her residence, he was stopped by Officer Butts, pulled out of his vehicle, and arrested for disorderly conduct and trespass.
He alleged that the current resisting arrest charge was being prosecuted in retaliation for his questioning the officers during th is incident. The defendant insisted that he had not committed disorderly conduct or trespass that night

. He confirmed that he did not identify himself or exit his vehicle voluntarily despite being asked to do so multiple times that evenin g. He also confirmed that the officers attempted to assist him out of the vehicle and that he pulled back away from them. He further confirmed that he had been informed that he was under arrest and of the charges against him. ¶ 18 During closing arguments, the defendant open ly admitted to the charge against him, stating, “I did resist. The S tate is right. I did resist when [Officer Butt] kept telling me that I was arrested for a charge that I did not do.” The jury returned a verdict of guilty, and the sentencing hearing proceeded on April 29, 2022. The defendant was subsequently sentenced to 12 months of conditional discharge, a $200 fine plus applicable court costs, 100 hours of community service work to be completed within the first 6 months, and 2 days in the county jail with credit for 2 days served.

### 10 ¶ 19 On May 2, 2022, the defendant filed a notice of appeal. An amended notice of appeal was filed on May 16, 2022. ¶ 20 II. ANALYSIS ¶ 21 On appeal, the d efendant makes two contentions. First, he argues that the evi dence in this case was insufficient to convict him of resisting a peace officer

. Second , he argues that the trial court failed to substantially comply with Illinois Supreme Court Rule 401(a) (eff. July 1, 1984) before allowing him to waive his right to cou nsel and proceed pro se . We disagree with both arguments. ¶ 22 A. Sufficiency of the Evidence ¶ 23 The defendant argues that the evidence was insufficient to prove that he possessed the requisite knowledge to resist arrest or that his actions constituted material resistance. When a defendant challenges the sufficiency of the evidence, the reviewing court must look at the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution and consider whether any rational trier of fact could have found the essential elements of the offense beyond a reasonable doubt. Jackson v. Virginia , 443 U.S. 307, 319 (1979); Peop le v. Pollock , 202 Ill. 2d 189, 217 (2002). “When presented with a challenge to the sufficiency of the evidence, it is not the function of this court to retry the defendant.” People v. Collins , 106 Ill. 2d 237, 261 (1985). The credibility of the witnesses, the weight to be given their testimony, and the resolution of any conflicts in the evidence are within the province of the trier of fact, and a reviewing court will not substitute its judgment for that of the trier of fact on these matters. People v. Broo ks , 187 Ill. 2d 91, 131 (1999). On review, g reat deference is given to the findings of the jury , wh ich , as the trier of fact, i s in a much better position to determine the witnesses ’ credibility and the weight to be accorded to their testimony. People v. Shaw , 2015 IL App (1st) 123157, ¶ 20. However, “we give less deference to a trial court ’ s

### 11 determinations of fact when they are based on evidence other than live witness testimony , ” such

as video recordings. Id. ¶ 29. ¶ 24 F ollowing a finding of guilt, on review, all reasonable inferences in the record will be made in favor of the State. People v. Cunningham , 212 Ill. 2d 274, 280 (2004). So long as any rational trier of fact could have found guilt established beyond a reasonable doubt, it is irrelevant on r eview whether the reviewing court itself believes such guilt was proven. Jackson , 443 U.S. at 319. However, this deference to the trial court only extends to reasonable conclusions; if a court’s conclusion is unreasonable, and “only one conclusion may reasonably be drawn from the record, a reviewing court must draw it even if it favors the defendant.” Cunningham , 212 Ill. 2d at 280. ¶ 25 Here, the defendant was charged with resisting a peace officer in that he knowingly pulled away from Officer Butt when she att empted to arrest him

. See 720 ILCS 5/31

- 1(a) (West 20 20). To sustain a guilty conviction on this charge, the State must prove that the defendant (1) knowingly resisted the performance (2) by one known to the defendant to be a peace officer (3) of an y authorized act within her official capacity. Id. ; People v. Baskerville , 2012 IL 111056 , ¶ 32. The defendant claims that the evidence adduced at trial was insufficient to support a conviction of resisting a peace officer in that it was not proven that he possessed the requisite knowledge to resist

arrest or that his actions constituted material resistance. We disagree. ¶ 26 1 . Requisite Knowledge ¶ 27 First, the defendant claims that there was insufficient evidence for a rational trier of fact to conclude beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant possessed the requisite knowledge to resist arrest under section 31

- 1(a) of the Criminal Code of 2012 (Code) ( 720 ILCS 5/31

- 1(a) (West 2020)). The defendant argues that the evidence was not sufficient to prove that he k new Officer Butt was attempting to carry out an authorized arrest. However, while “[o] ne cannot knowingly

### 12 resist an arrest until one knows that [an arrest] is occurring,” w hether the defendant believ ed th at arrest to be authorized or unauthorized is irrelevant, as , “[u] nder section 7

- 7 of the Criminal Code of 2012 ( 720 ILCS 5/7

- 7 (West 2018 )) , ‘[a] person is not authorized to use force to resist an arrest which he knows is being made *** by a peace officer * ** even if he believes that the arrest is unlawful and the arrest in fact is unlawful.’ Accordingly, an arrest is considered an ‘authorized act’ for the purposes of section 31

- 1 even if it was an unlawful arrest.” People v. Borders , 2020 IL App (2d) 180324 , ¶ ¶ 5 4, 51 . Thus, in order for the requisite knowledge element to be met, the evidence need only be sufficient enough for a rational trier of fact to conclude that the defendant knew Officer Butt was attempting to carry out an arrest, whether authorized or unauthorized

. ¶ 28 Although the intention to arrest must be communicated, and the defendant’ s understanding of that intent is a factor to be considered, the statement, “ ‘ you are under arrest ’ ” is not absolutely necessary to create the knowledge that one is being arrested. Borders , 2020 IL App (2d) 180324, ¶ 56. The test is not what d efendant subjectively thought, but what a reasonable man, innocent of any crime, would have thought, had he been in defendant ’ s shoes. Id. In this case, there was sufficient evidence for a rational trier of fact to find beyond a reasonable doubt that a reasonable, innocent man in the defendant’s position would have known officers were attempting to carry out

an arres t. Officer Butt told the defendant that if he failed to provide his name, he would go to jail for obstruction of identification. Both officers asked the defendant to exit the vehicle a countless number of times. Officer Garcia informed the defendant that he was being charged with the crimes of disorderly conduct and harassment via text message. ¶ 29 Also, b oth officers informed the defendant that he would be assisted out of the vehicle if he failed to step out and identify himself. Just before Officer Butt took the defendant’s arm for the first time, she told the defendant that he was about to go to jail and that , until their supervisor

### 13 arrive d , he needed to exit his vehicle because he was going in handcuffs. Additionally , as Officer Butt locked a handcuff around the defendant’s left wrist, the defendant specifically asked what he was being arrested for , a statement which tends to confirm that the defendant subjectively knew he was being arrested

. Since a rational trier of fact could conclude beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant knew an arrest was being attempted, the evidence is sufficient to prove that the defendant had the requi site knowledge to resist. ¶ 30 2 . Material Resistance ¶ 31 Second, the defendant claims that there was insufficient evidence for a rational trier of fact to conclude beyond a reasonable doubt that his actions constituted material resistance under section
31- 1(a) of the Code (720 ILCS 5/31

- 1(a) (West 20 20)). R esistance is any physical act that actually hinders or impedes the performance of an officer’s duties. Baskerville , 2012 IL 111056, ¶ 25. “While an act might hinder or impede an official act in the technical sense, that hindrance or impediment may be so minimal as to not be considered a violation of the statute in questi on.” People v. Mehta , 2020 IL App (3d) 180020, ¶ 21. “ ‘ [M] ere argument with a policeman about the validity of an arrest or other police action ’ ” cannot constitute resistance under the statute. Baskerville , 2012 IL 111056, ¶ 20 (quoting People v. Raby , 40 Ill. 2d 392, 399 (1968)). Nor can
“m ere failure to cooperate with an officer” constitute resistanc e under the statute

. People v. Stoudt , 198 Ill. App. 3d 124, 127 (1990). ¶ 32 The defendant first claims that “mere verbal disagreement” is all that is at issu e in his case. However, the State’s charging instrument hinges not on the several minutes of verbal disagreement between the officers and the defendant, but on the defendant’s “pulling away from” the officers after they attempted to arrest him. The defenda nt claims that the video evidence in this case “does not show any physical act of resistance committed by [ him ].” However, after having viewed this

### 14 video, this court must disagree. The video shows the defendant repeatedly pulling his arm backwards and bracing his feet inside the vehicle. In addition to the video, there was sufficient evidence presented at trial for a rational trier of fact to conclude beyond a reasonable doubt that physical acts took place which constituted material resistance. Officer Garc ia testified that the defendant “pulled away from officers after continuous attempts to assist him out of the vehicle” and “braced his feet inside the vehicle to prevent himself from being removed.” The defendant himself confirmed on the stand that the officers attempted to assist him out of the vehicle and that he pulled back away from them. ¶ 33 In the alternate, the defendant claims that any physical acts which took place were de minimis in that they did not materiall y hinder or impede the officers in the performance of their official duties, and thus did not constitute resistance under the statute. “[T]he length of any delay or the brevity of any impediment is a factor, if not the primary factor, in determining” whether a defendant’s actions have materially hindered or impeded officers in the performance of their official duties. Mehta , 2020 IL App (3d) 180020, ¶ 32. However, it is not the only factor. Id. The threat posed by the actions to officers’ safety can also factor into whether or not the a ctions materially hindered the performance of the officers’ duties. People v. Gotschall , 2022 IL App (4th) 210256, ¶ 29. ¶ 34 Here, there is insufficient evidence that the defendant’s actions threatened officers’ safety

. However, there is sufficient evidence t hat the delay between when the arrest was first set out upon and the completion of that arrest was appreciable , and thus hindered the officers’ performance of their duties. From the time the officers first attempted to hoist the defendant out from his vehi cle to when they were finally successful in their endeavor, over four minutes had passed. Additionally, the entire interaction took 12 minutes from start to finish. Other details about the case also serve

### 15 as evidence that the defendant’s actions tended to materially hinder or impede the officers in the performance of their duties. In the end, in order to carry out the defendant’s arrest, Officer Butt required the assistance of at least three other officers, only one of whom was first present with her on the scene, and at least two of whom were called to the scene in response to the defendant’s initial noncooperation. Altogether, there was sufficient evidence for a rational trier of fact to find beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant’s actions materially hindered or impeded the officers in the performance of their official duty, namely, arresting the defendant

. ¶ 35 Thus, as the evidence was sufficient to prove both the physical nature of the defendant’s

act ion s, as well as their significantly hinde ring effect on the officers’ performance of their duties, there was sufficient evidence for a rational trier of fact to conclude beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant’s actions constituted material resistance

. ¶ 36 The defendant argues that this case is similar to our previous holding in People v. Flannigan , 131 Ill. App. 2d 1059 (1971)

. In Flannigan , this court held that, where a defendant refused to exit his vehicle after being told that he was under arrest and temporarily put his car keys out of the re ach of the officer attempting to retrieve them, his conduct was “at most an insubstantial display of antagonism or belligerence,” and did not constitute material resistance. Id. at 1063. However, Flannigan is not similar to the case at bar. In Flannigan , t he only physical act of resistance alleged was defendant temporar il y putting his keys out of reach. This act was extremely temporary, as only a moment later, defendant brought the keys within reach again, and the officer was able to retrieve them. Id. at 1 060. The only other act of resistance alleged in Flannigan was defendant’s verbal refusal to immediately exit his vehicle voluntarily. Id. The officer in Flannigan “asked defendant two or three times to get out of the car and when defendant did not do so immediately, [the officer] reached in and took defendant from the car.” Id. Critically, u nlike in the

### 16 present case at bar, no physical resistance was alleged in Fla nnigan

. In fact, uncontroverted witness testimony in Flannigan established that “the whole incident lasted perhaps one minute ,” and was thus “an insubstantial display.” Id. at 1062 -63. ¶ 37 In contrast, the conduct in the case at bar was not similarly “insubst antial.” The entire incident laste d 12 minutes long. While defendant in Flannigan was only asked “two or three times to get out of the car” by one officer, the defendant here was asked a countless number of times to do the same by at least three different officers. Id. at 1060. Critically, while here , it took at least four officers to get the defendant out of his vehicle due to his alleged acts of physical resistance,
in Flannigan , due to the uncontroverted lack of physical resistance, it took only one officer

. Id. ¶ 38 Since there was sufficient evidence for a rational trier of fact to find beyond a reasonable doubt both that the defendant had the requisite knowledge to resist and that his actions constituted material resistance, we conclude a rational trier of fact could find the defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt

. The defendant’s s ufficiency of the evidence claim thus fails. ¶ 39 B

. Invalid Waiver of Counsel ¶ 40 Second, the defendant argues that the trial court failed to substantially compl y with Illinois Supreme Court Rule 401(a) (eff. July 1, 1984) before allowing him to waive his fundamental right to counsel. ¶ 41 The defendant’s arraignment took place on September 28, 2021. Pursuant to Rule 401(a), the trial court explained the nature of the charges against him as well as the possi ble penalties for each charge. When asked if he wanted time to hire an attorney, the defendant responded that he wanted to represent himself. The court then read several admonishments regarding the defendant’s right to an attorney and decision to represent himself. After these admonishments had been read, the defendant confirmed his decision to proceed pro se .

### 17 ¶ 42 The defendant was again admonished regarding his right to an attorney during the December 20, 2021, hearing on the motion to dismiss. The trial cour t even provided examples of the defendant’s lack of legal training in an attempt to further explicate the disadvantages of proceeding pro se . The court then inquired into the defendant’s level of education and legal experience. The defendant demonstrated that he understood the possible penalties in the case, commenting that he “might face a year maximum, at most,” if he went to trial and lost. The court subsequently found that the defendant was knowingly, intelligently, and voluntarily waiving his right to counsel, per Rule 401(a). ¶ 43 During a February 17, 2022, hearing, after the trial court had concluded that everything was ready to proceed to trial, the defendant requested time to retain an attorney. Despite the inconvenient timing of the request, the court honored this and granted a continuance for this reason. Just after the continuance had been granted, the defendant revoked his earlier request and again insisted that he would proceed pro se . The court then readvised the defendant of the nature of the cha rges he faced and the possible penalties for each charge. Before this admonishment could be finished, the defendant again requested time to retain an attorney. The court again honored this request and granted a continuance for this purpose. The court even encouraged the defendant in this decision to exercise his right to an attorney. The court informed the defendant that , if he qualified financially, the court would appoint a public defender to represent him. After this, the defendant again revoked his request for time to retain an attorney and insisted that he would proceed pro se . Only a short while after that, the defendant asked the court if he could apply for a public defender. The court ascertained that the defendant financially qualified for represent ation by the public defender’s office, and appointed counsel to represent the defendant. The case was then continued.

### 18 ¶ 44 On March 23, 2022, a hearing proceeded on the defendant’s motion for leave to withdraw counsel. Pursuant to Illinois Supreme Court Rule 401(a) (eff. July 1, 1984), the trial court admonished the defendant regarding his right to an attorney and decision to represent himself. The court then inquired into the defendant’s age, education, legal experience, and understanding. The court encouraged the defendant to retain his attorney instead of proceeding pro se . The court noted that it had previously explained to the defendant the nature of the charges, the possible penalties, and his right to an attorney. The court concluded that the defendant understood all of this and was knowingly, intelligently, and voluntarily waiving his right to counsel in proceeding pro se . The defendant then proceeded pro se at his trial. ¶ 45 Subsequently, a t the defendant’s sentencing hearing on April 29, 2022 , the trial court again confirmed with the defendant that he wished to represent himself, reminding him that “we’ve been through this many times” and directing him to “the admonishment [the court] provided to [the defendant] previously about the advantages and disadvantages of choosing to represent [himself].” The defendant then confirmed his decision to proceed pro se , and represented himself at his sentencing hearing. ¶ 46 At the outset, we recognize that the defendant failed to raise this al leged error in a posttrial motion. Although this would normally result in a forfeiture of the issue, in this case, “ [b] ecause the right to counsel is fundamental, an appellate court may review a failure to substantially comply with Rule 401(a) under the pl ain

- error doctrine despite a defendant ’ s failure to properly preserve such an error.” People v. Vazquez , 2011 IL App (2d) 091155, ¶ 14. The plain

- error doctrine allows a reviewing court to consider an unpreserved error when (1) a clear or obvious error occ urs, and the evidence is so closely balanced that the error alone threatened to tip the scales of justice against defendant, regardless of the seriousness of the error ; or (2) a clear or obvious error occurs and that

### 19 error is so serious that it affected th e fairness of defendant ’ s trial and challenged the integrity of the judicial process, regardless of the closeness of the evidence. People v. Piatkowski , 225 Ill. 2d 551, 565 (2007). Here, the defendant argues that the alleged Rule 401(a) error satisfies the second prong of the plain

- error doctrine in that this error was so serious it affected the fairness of his trial and challenged the integrity of the judicial process. ¶ 47 The Constitution of the United States guarantees a defendant’ s right to the assistance of counsel as well as his right to proceed without counsel. U.S. Const., amend. VI; People v. Wright , 2017 IL 119561, ¶ 39. Indeed, “a court must honor a defendant ’ s knowing and intelligent election to proceed pro se , even if the court considers the decision unwise.” People v. Haynes , 174 Ill. 2d 204, 245 (1996). However, this election must be voluntary, knowing , and intelligent. Id. at 235. A trial court that allows a defendant to represent himself without first knowingly and inte lligently waiving his right to counsel commits reversible error. People v. Jiles , 364 Ill. App. 3d 320, 328

- 30 (2006). In Illinois, a knowing and intelligent waiver of counsel can only occur following a court’s substantial compliance with Illinois Supreme Court Rule 401(a). People v. Campbell , 224 Ill. 2d 80, 87 (2006); Ill. S. Ct. R. 401(a) (eff. July 1, 1984). Rule 401(a) details the admonishments that the court must give a defendant before he waives counsel: “(a) Waiver of Counsel. Any waiver of counsel shall be in open court. The court shall not permit a waiver of counsel by a person accused of an offense punishable by imprisonment without first, by addressing the defendant personally in open court, informing him of and determining that he understands the following: (1) the nature of the charge; (2) the minimum and maximum sentence prescribed by law, including, when applicable, the penalty to which the defendant may be subjected because of prior convictions or consecutive sentences; and (3) that he has a right to counsel and, if he is indigent, to have counsel appointed for him by the court. ” Ill. S. Ct. R. 401(a) (eff. July 1, 1984). ¶ 48 While the trial court must comply with Rule 401(a) for an effective waiver of counsel, “strict , technical compliance with Rule 401(a) *** is not always required.” Wright , 2017 IL

### 20 119561, ¶ 41; s ee People v. Baker , 94 Ill. 2d 129, 137 (1983). S ubstantial compliance with Rule 401(a) will be sufficient to effectuate a valid waiver so long as the record shows that the waiver

was voluntarily, knowingly, and intelligently made, and “ the sole admonishment that [defendant] did not receive in no way prejudiced his rights.” Wright , 2017 IL 119561, ¶¶ 4 1, 44

. A reviewing court determines whether a defendant knowingly waived his right to counsel based on the specific facts and circumstances of the case at hand. Id. ¶ 54. ¶ 49 Firstly, both parties agree that the trial court properly admonished the defendant pursuant to Rule 401(a) when it allowed him to proceed pro se earlier in the pretrial proceedings. ¶ 50 The defendant was admonished on the nature of the charges, the possible penalties, and his right to counsel on two separate occasions, during his arraignment on September 28, 2021, and during the hearing on his m otion to r econsider on February 17, 2022. Additionally, the defendant was admonished several times by the judge about his right to an attorney and the disadvantages of proceeding pro se . However, the last time the defendant waived his right to counsel and elected to proceed pro se , the court did not fully readmonish him on the nature of his charges and the potential penalties associated with them. Instead, the court noted that it had previously explained these elements to the defendant and elected only to readmonish him regarding his right to an attorney and decision to represent himself. The defendant contends that , in forgoing the full readmonishment on this last occasion, the court failed to substantially comply with Rule 401(a) before allowing him to waive his right to counsel. ¶ 51 However, the caselaw regarding substantial compliance with Rule 401(a) is clear. Although “[i] t would have been preferable for the trial judge accepting the waiver to admonish the defendant in accordance with Rule 401(a) at the time he accepted the defendant’s waiver of counsel,” such a failure only constitutes a n error and does not necessarily preclude substantial compliance with the

### 21 rule. Haynes , 174 Ill. 2d at 242 ; s ee People v. Johnson , 119 Ill. 2d 119, 138 (1987) . Indeed, in determining substantial compliance with Rule 401(a), courts do not “solely focus on t he admonishments given at the time that the defendant waived counsel for the final time.” People v.
Ware , 407 Ill. App. 3d 315, 344 -45 (2011). Instead, t hey also look at “the previous admonishments and *** facts throughout the record.” Id. at 345. In Haynes , the trial court gave defendant complete Rule 401(a) admonishments a number of weeks prior to defendant’s waiver and failed to repeat those admonishments at the time of the waiver

. Haynes , 174 Ill. 2d at 240. The appellate court in Haynes found that the trial court had substantially complied with Rule 401(a) where its prior admonishments were complete and given at a time when defendant had indicated a desire to waive counsel. Id. at 241. ¶ 52 In Ware , although the trial court gave defendant complete Rule 401(a) admonishments the first two times defendant switched to representing himself from being represented by counsel, the third and final time this happened, it did not give the admonishment. Ware , 407 Ill. App. 3d at 331

. The Ware court found that , despite this, when it considered the record as a whole, the trial court had substantially complied with Rule 401(a) where its earlier admonishments contained all of the required information and defendant was aware of the information contained in them

. Id

. at 347. In the present case , although a complete Rule 401(a) admonishment was not given at the time of the defendant’s final waiver, two of the previous ly administered admonishments were complete , and the record show s the defendant knew and understood th e elements that were left out of the final admonishment. ¶ 53 The d efendant would have us rely on People v. Martin , 2021 IL App (4th) 180267 , in order to determine the meaning of substantial compliance; however, the scenario in Martin is not on point here and is distinguished from the case at bar. In Martin , the trial court properly admonished

### 22 defendant pursuant to Rule 401(a) during pretrial proceedings but failed to do so when defendant waived his right to counsel during the sentencing stage after having been represented by counsel for some time during that stage

. Id. ¶ 34. The Martin court concluded that , because “there was

never an admonishment about the nature of the charge nor the minimum and maximum possible penalties of the offense at [this] separate, critical stage of the proceedings,” the trial court did not substantially comply with Rule 401(a) when it allowed defendant to waive his right to counsel during sentencing. (Emphasis in original.) Id. ¶ 35. ¶ 54 Here, the defendant argues that the relevant fact is that the Martin defendant was represented by counsel in between waivers, much like in the case at bar. However, in reading
Martin , it is clear that the relevant fact is actually that defendant’s waivers happened in entirely separate stages of the proceedings, unlike in the case at bar, where all waivers happened in the same pretrial stage of the proceedings. Unlike in Martin , the defendant here was properly admonished multiple times within the same stage of proceedings during which his final waiver took place . Thus, Martin is inapplicable here. Accordingly, a lthough it was an error for the trial

court not to fully comply and properly admonish the defendant pursuant to Rule 401(a) at the time of his last waiver of counsel, the prior admonishments the defendant received were sufficient to constitute substantial compliance with Rule 401(a). ¶ 55 In order for substantial compliance with Rule 401(a) to be sufficient to effectuate a valid waiver, the record must show that the waiver was voluntarily, knowingly, and intelligently made, and the sole admonishment that defendant did not receive must in no way have prejudiced his rights. See Wright , 2017 IL 119561, ¶ ¶ 41, 44. In the case at bar, the record shows that the defendant’s waiver was voluntarily, intelligently, and knowingly made. The defendant demonstrat ed that he understood the nature of the charges and their possible penalties when he

### 23 commented that he “might face a year maximum, at most,” if he went to trial and lost. The defendant demonstrated his awareness of his right to counsel by exercising his right with the appointment of a public defender. Additionally, the record decisively establishes that the defendant knowingly and voluntarily waived his right to counsel. On several occasions , the trial court discouraged the defendant from p roceeding pro se , and even on one occasion went so far as to provide examples of the defendant’s lack of legal training in order to explicate the disadvantages of proceeding pro se . The court actively encouraged the defendant to exercise his right to couns el and retain an attorney and granted continuances expressly for this purpose even when inconvenient in timing. Still, the defendant remained steadfast in his intention to represent himself. His waiver of counsel was clear , unequivocal, and entirely volunt ary. ¶ 56 Additionally, the trial court’s failure to fully admonish the defendant before he ultimately decided to proceed pro se did not prejudice his rights

. There is no evidence that an additional, complete Rule 401(a) admonishment at the time of the defendant’s final waiver would have altered his decision to proceed pro se . In fact, there is evidence to the contrary, suggesting that , even if such an admonishment had occurred, the defendant would have remained steadfast in his decision to represent himself. F rom the beginning of the court proceedings in this case, the defendant expressed a desire to represent himself and remained steadfast in that desire even after being advised by the court of the potential pitfalls of doing so. In fact, before accepting the defendant’s final waiver, t he court specifically encouraged the defendant to retain his attorney instead of proceeding pro se . This specific admonishment did not alter the defendant’s decision, and there is no evidence a more complete admonishment on the nature of the charges or their potential penalties, both admonishments the defendant had already heard before, would have made a ny

### 24 difference. Thus, the admonishment that the defendant did not receive in no way prejudiced his rights. ¶ 57 Thus, a lthough the trial court failed to fully readmonish the defendant pursuant to Rule 401(a) at the time of his final waiver of counsel, the trial court still substantially complied with Rule 401(a), the defendant’s waiver was made knowingly, voluntarily, and intelligently, and the sole admonishment the defendant did not receive in no way prejudiced his rights. As a result, the trial court’s substan tial compliance with Rule 401(a) was sufficient to effectuate a valid waiver of counsel. Therefore, the trial court’s error was not so serious as to affect the fairness of the defendant’s trial or challenge the integrity of the judicial process. The defendant’s invalid waiver of counsel claim fails. ¶ 58 III. CONCLUSION ¶ 59 As a rational trier of fact could have found beyond a reasonable doubt both that the d efendant possessed the requisite knowledge to resist a peace officer under section 31

- 1(a) of the Code ( 720 ILCS 5/ 31-1 (a) (West 20 20)) and that the defendant’s actions constituted material resistance , the evidence is sufficient to support a verdict of guilty of resisting a peace officer

. As the trial court did not fail to substantially comply with Illinois Supreme Court Rule 401(a) (eff. July 1, 1984) before allowing the defendant to waive his fundamental right to counsel and proceed

pro se , the defendant’s waiver of counsel was valid

. Accordingly, the judgment of the circuit court of Champaign County is affirmed.

¶ 60 Affirmed.