Illinois Official Reports 

Appellate Court

People v. Daniels, 2015 IL App (2d) 130517

Appellate Court 

Caption

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. 

JAMES K. DANIELS, Defendant-Appellant.

District & No. Second District

Docket No. 2-13-0517

Filed March 6, 2015

Held

(Note: This syllabus 

constitutes no part of the 

opinion of the court but 

has been prepared by the 

Reporter of Decisions 

for the convenience of 

the reader.)

In a prosecution for burglary where the State delayed obtaining an 

indictment for 79 days to gain a tactical advantage, defendant’s due 

process rights were not violated and his burglary conviction was 

affirmed, since the delay between the information and the indictment

was occasioned by defendant, but the public defender fee of $750 was 

vacated because of the trial court’s failure to conduct the requisite 

hearing regarding defendant’s financial resources where there was no

evidence that the trial court made any reference to the public defender 

or to its intent to impose the fee, the fee was imposed by written order 

sometime after the hearing, and there was no evidence that a hearing 

“was held to resolve defendant’s representation by the public 

defender.”

Decision Under 

Review

Appeal from the Circuit Court of Lake County, No. 12-CF-3315; the 

Hon. Mark L. Levitt, Judge, presiding.

Judgment Affirmed in part and vacated in part.
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Counsel on

Appeal

Thomas A. Lilien and Richard C. Harris, both of State Appellate 

Defender’s Office, of Elgin, for appellant.

Michael G. Nerheim, State’s Attorney, of Waukegan (Lawrence M. 

Bauer and Barry W. Jacobs, both of State’s Attorneys Appellate 

Prosecutor’s Office, of counsel), for the People.

Panel JUSTICE HUDSON delivered the judgment of the court, with 

opinion.

Justices McLaren and Spence concurred in the judgment and opinion.

 OPINION 

¶ 1 Following a jury trial, defendant, James K. Daniels, was found guilty of burglary (720 

ILCS 5/19-1(a) (West 2010)) and sentenced to 11 years in prison. The trial court also ordered 

defendant to pay a $750 public defender fee (725 ILCS 5/113-3.1(a) (West 2012)). 

Defendant timely appeals, arguing: (1) his due process rights were violated where the State 

intentionally delayed obtaining an indictment for 79 days after filing the information in order 

to gain a tactical advantage over defendant; and (2) the $750 public defender fee must be 

vacated outright because it was imposed without the requisite hearing. For the reasons that 

follow, we affirm defendant’s conviction of burglary, and we vacate the $750 public 

defender fee. 

¶ 2 I. BACKGROUND 

¶ 3 On August 8, 2012, in case No. 12-CF-2279, defendant was charged by information with 

burglary of an automobile (720 ILCS 5/19-1(a) (West 2010)), alleged to have been 

committed in June 2012. He was arrested on August 18, 2012, and filed a speedy-trial 

demand the next day. 

¶ 4 On September 26, 2012, the State filed a motion requesting that defendant be ordered to 

submit a DNA sample. In its motion, the State alleged that blood evidence had been collected 

from the automobile at issue and that a DNA profile had been obtained. The State further 

alleged that entry of the DNA profile into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) 

resulted in a match with defendant’s previously obtained DNA profile. The State argued that 

additional DNA from defendant was necessary for further comparison. The trial court 

granted the State’s motion and, on October 19, 2012, a buccal swab was collected from 

defendant. 

¶ 5 In a report dated October 23, 2012, forensic scientist Sarah E. Owens reported that the 

CODIS search for the DNA obtained from the blood evidence also detected a match with 

DNA evidence that had been obtained in case “12-45657” from “Item 01 (report 1).”
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¶ 6 On November 5, 2012, defendant was charged by information in the present case with 

two counts of burglary (720 ILCS 5/19-1(a) (West 2010)). Count I alleged that, in July 2012, 

defendant entered a Chevrolet Suburban with the intent to commit theft. Count II alleged 

that, in August 2012, defendant entered a Chevrolet Tahoe with the intent to commit theft. 

¶ 7 A bond hearing took place on November 6, 2012, and a public defender was appointed to 

represent defendant. The record contains several minute orders indicating that, after 

defendant’s bond hearing, the matter was continued on defendant’s motion on November 15, 

2012, December 13, 2012, December 20, 2012, and December 27, 2012. On January 2, 2013, 

a preliminary hearing date was set, and on January 23, 2013, a grand jury indicted defendant 

on both counts. 

¶ 8 On February 11, 2013, the parties were before the court on the “trial call” for case No. 

12-CF-2279. The State informed the trial court that one of its necessary witnesses would be 

out of state until March 1 and that, as a result, it would be unable to meet the speedy-trial 

period. The State moved for and was granted an order to nol-pros the charge. 

¶ 9 On March 18, 2013, a jury trial took place on the charges in the present case. At the 

outset, defendant moved to sever the charges. The trial court agreed that the charges should 

be severed. (The State subsequently elected to proceed on count II.) Defendant also asked 

that the case be dismissed, arguing that the State violated defendant’s right to a speedy trial. 

According to defendant, the speedy-trial period began on November 6, 2012, when defendant 

was brought into bond court and informed of the new charges, and thus more than 120 days 

had passed. The State responded that, because defendant had been in custody on an unrelated 

charge on November 6, 2012, the speedy-trial period did not begin until January 23, 2013, 

when defendant was indicted on the later charges, and thus only 54 days had passed. The trial 

court agreed with the State and denied the motion. 

¶ 10 At trial, Waukegan police officer Edward Heidler testified that, on August 7, 2012, he 

was called to a crime scene, involving the burglary of a Chevrolet Tahoe, to collect evidence. 

He identified a yellow and black hat, and he testified that he had collected the hat from the 

car. Waukegan police officer Timothy John Ives testified that, on October 19, 2012, he 

collected a buccal swab from defendant. Forensic scientist Michelle Thomas testified that 

DNA, which she had obtained from the hat, matched the DNA that she had obtained from 

defendant’s buccal swab. She further testified that defendant’s DNA standard would have 

been sent back to the police department after her testing but that it was no longer available. 

¶ 11 At the close of evidence, defendant moved for a directed verdict, based primarily on the 

State’s failure to introduce the DNA sample obtained from defendant. The State responded 

that the chain of custody of the evidence had been sufficiently established through the point 

that it had been tested by Thomas. The State argued further that its inability to produce the 

DNA sample went to the weight of the evidence, not its admissibility. The trial court denied 

defendant’s motion. The jury found defendant guilty of burglary. 

¶ 12 On April 24, 2013, following a sentencing hearing, the trial court sentenced defendant to 

11 years in prison. A document labeled “Exhibit A” titled “ASSESSMENT OF FINES, 

FEES, COSTS, AND RESTITUTION” was filed that same day. The first paragraph reads:

“HAVING DETERMINED ALL ISSUES IN THIS CAUSE, INCLUDING 

DEFENDANT’S FINANCIAL ABILITY TO PAY, THIS COURT HAS ASSESSED 

AND ORDERED THE PAYMENT BY THE THE [sic] DEFENDANT OF THE 

FOLLOWING ***.”
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It is followed by an itemized list of assessments imposed on defendant. The list includes a 

$750 public defender fee. 

¶ 13 Following the denial of his motion for reconsideration of his sentence, defendant timely 

appealed. 

¶ 14 II. ANALYSIS 

¶ 15 A. Trial Delay 

¶ 16 Defendant first argues that his due process rights were violated, where the State 

intentionally delayed obtaining an indictment for 79 days after filing the information (from 

November 5, 2012, to January 23, 2013), in order to gain a tactical advantage over defendant. 

In response, the State argues that defendant forfeited this argument by failing to raise it 

below. In the alternative, the State argues that defendant’s due process rights were not 

violated, because defendant caused the preindictment delay and because defendant cannot 

establish that he was prejudiced by the delay. 

¶ 17 Defendant concedes that the issue has been forfeited. However, defendant asserts that his 

claim meets the second prong of the plain-error rule, permitting review where the “error is so 

serious that it affected the fairness of the defendant’s trial and challenged the integrity of the 

judicial process.” People v. Piatkowski, 225 Ill. 2d 551, 565 (2007); People v. Herron, 215 Ill. 

2d 167, 186-87 (2005). However, before applying that prong of the plain-error rule, we must 

first determine that error occurred. People v. Thompson, 238 Ill. 2d 598, 613 (2010); cf. 

People v. White, 2011 IL 109689, ¶ 148 (“Where the only basis proffered for plain-error 

review is a claim that the evidence is closely balanced, an assessment of the impact of an 

alleged evidentiary error is readily made after reading the record. When it is clear that the 

alleged error would not have affected the outcome of the case, a court of review need not 

engage in the meaningless endeavor of determining whether error occurred.”).

¶ 18 As an initial matter, we note that, contrary to his argument below, defendant now 

concedes that, because he was in custody (for the charges pending in case No. 12-CF-2279) 

when the State filed the information in the present case, the statutory speedy-trial period in 

the present case did not begin until January 23, 2013, when the State obtained an indictment. 

See People v. Martinez, 264 Ill. App. 3d 807, 812 (1994) (where a defendant is in custody for 

an unrelated charge pending against him, the speedy-trial period on the new offense begins 

on the date of indictment on the new offense); People v. Chaney, 48 Ill. App. 3d 775, 778 

(1977) (same). Nevertheless, defendant maintains that, because he was already in custody 

and because the State already knew of the DNA evidence against him when it filed the 

information, it had no reason to delay indicting defendant for 79 days “other than to 

manipulate the applicable speedy trial limitations period.”

¶ 19 A defendant who claims that a preindictment delay violated his constitutional rights to 

due process must make a clear showing that he was actually and substantially prejudiced by 

the delay. People v. Lawson, 67 Ill. 2d 449, 459 (1977). Upon such a showing, the burden 

shifts to the State to establish “the reasonableness, if not the necessity, of the delay.” Id. If 

the defendant is unable to establish prejudice, then no due process violation has occurred and 

the court need not ascertain the reasonableness or necessity of the delay. Id. at 459-60. 

Defendant argues that the 79-day delay between the information and the indictment caused 
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him “actual and substantial prejudice because it helped the State [to] satisfy the speedy trial 

term.”

¶ 20 We need not consider whether defendant was actually and substantially prejudiced by the 

delay, because the record reveals that the delay was occasioned by defendant. “A delay is 

considered to have been occasioned by the defendant when the defendant’s acts caused or 

contributed to the delay. [Citation.] When a defense attorney requests a continuance on 

behalf of a defendant, any delay caused by that continuance will obviously be attributed to 

the defendant. [Citation.]” People v. Kaczmarek, 207 Ill. 2d 288, 296 (2003). Here, the 

minute orders show that, after the bond hearing, the matter was continued several times on 

defendant’s motion. Defendant concedes that the minute orders “appear to indicate that [the 

present case] was continued on the defendant’s motions for status on preliminary hearing.” 

Nevertheless, defendant argues that the first continuance was granted at a hearing at which he 

was not personally present and that he was represented by four different public defenders. Be 

that as it may, the fact remains that defendant, through counsel, requested the continuances. 

¶ 21 Accordingly, because defendant caused the delay of which he complains, he cannot 

establish error. Absent error, there can be no plain error. 

¶ 22 B. Public Defender Fee 

¶ 23 Defendant next argues that the $750 public defender fee must be vacated outright, 

because it was imposed without the requisite hearing. In response, the State concedes that the 

fee must be vacated, but it argues that, because the court held a hearing, albeit an insufficient 

one, the case should be remanded for a proper hearing. 

¶ 24 Although defendant did not raise this issue below, we may consider the issue as forfeiture 

does not apply. See People v. Love, 177 Ill. 2d 550, 564 (1997) (“Where *** the trial court 

wholly ignored the statutory procedures mandated for a [public defender] reimbursement 

order *** and instead ordered reimbursement sua sponte without any warning to the 

defendant, fairness dictates that waiver should not be applied.”). This issue is a question of 

law, and we review it de novo. People v. Caballero, 228 Ill. 2d 79, 82 (2008). 

¶ 25 Section 113-3.1(a) of the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963 (Code) (725 ILCS 

5/113-3.1(a) (West 2012)) authorizes the trial court to order a criminal defendant for whom 

counsel has been appointed to pay a reasonable amount to reimburse the county or the state. 

However, prior to ordering reimbursement, the trial court must conduct a hearing, within 90 

days of sentencing, regarding the defendant’s financial resources. Id.; People v. Williams, 

2013 IL App (2d) 120094, ¶¶ 12-13. The hearing must not be conducted in a perfunctory 

manner. People v. Somers, 2013 IL 114054, ¶ 14. Instead, “the court must give the defendant 

notice that it is considering imposing the fee, and the defendant must be given the 

opportunity to present evidence regarding his or her ability to pay and any other relevant 

circumstances.” Id. Where the trial court conducts a timely hearing, but one that is 

insufficient to comply with the requirements of section 113-3.1(a) of the Code, the proper 

remedy is to vacate the public defender fee and remand for a proper hearing on the 

defendant’s ability to pay. Id. ¶¶ 14-18; Williams, 2013 IL App (2d) 120094, ¶ 24. 

¶ 26 The issue here is not whether the trial court held a hearing that was insufficient to comply 

with the requirements of section 113-3.1(a) of the Code; instead, the issue is whether the trial 

court held a hearing at all. On this issue, we find Somers and Williams instructive. 
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¶ 27 In Somers, the trial court imposed a public defender fee after asking the defendant three 

questions regarding his financial circumstances. Somers, 2013 IL 114054, ¶ 4. On appeal to 

the supreme court, the defendant argued that the fee must be vacated outright, because the 

trial court failed to comply with section 113-3.1(a) of the Code. Id. ¶ 12. The supreme court 

stated that the trial court’s few questions to the defendant about his financial circumstances 

clearly did not satisfy the requirements of section 113-3.1(a). Id. ¶ 14. The supreme court 

continued: 

“Just as clearly, though, the trial court did have some sort of a hearing within the 

statutory time period. The trial court inquired of defendant whether he thought he 

could get a job when he was released from jail, whether he planned on using his 

future income to pay his fines and costs, and whether there was any physical reason 

why he could not work. Only after hearing defendant’s answers to these questions did 

the court impose the fee. Thus, we agree with the State’s contention that the problem 

here is not that the trial court did not hold a hearing within 90 days, but that the 

hearing that the court did hold was insufficient to comply with the statute.” Id. ¶ 15. 

The supreme court therefore remanded the cause for a proper hearing. Id. ¶ 18. 

¶ 28 In Williams, we addressed the issue of what constitutes a hearing on a public defender 

fee. There, a public defender represented the defendant through the preliminary hearing, 

arraignment, and pretrial stages. Williams, 2013 IL App (2d) 120094, ¶ 4. The defendant 

thereafter retained private counsel, and the public defender asked to withdraw. At that time, 

the court noted the representation provided by the public defender and ordered the defendant 

to pay a $750 public defender fee. On appeal, the defendant argued that there could be no 

remand for a hearing on his ability to pay a public defender fee, because, unlike in Somers, 

the trial court did not ask him any questions about his ability to pay before it imposed the fee. 

Id. ¶ 19. We rejected that argument, stating: 

“Somers requires only that the trial court hold ‘some sort of a hearing within the 

statutory time period.’ [Citation.] While the trial court in Somers asked the defendant 

a few questions related to his finances, our supreme court never stated that such 

questioning was required for a hearing. Rather, the supreme court stated that a 

hearing ‘clearly’ took place [citation], implying that less would also suffice to 

constitute a ‘hearing.’ ” Id. ¶ 20.

We went on to note that “Black’s Law Dictionary defines a ‘hearing’ as a ‘judicial session, 

usu[ally] open to the public, held for the purpose of deciding issues of fact or law, sometimes 

with witnesses testifying.’ [Citations.]” Id. We found that, although the proceeding was 

insufficient to meet the requirements of section 113-3.1(a), it nevertheless “met this 

definition of a ‘hearing,’ as it was a judicial session open to the public, held to resolve 

defendant’s representation by the public defender.” Id. We noted that “the trial court did 

consider the public defender’s time and effort in representing defendant and did set a 

payment amount, but, because it did not consider defendant’s ability to pay, the hearing was 

inadequate.” Id. ¶ 22. Accordingly, we concluded that, as in Somers, because the trial court 

conducted a timely hearing “on the issue of the public defender fee,” a remand for an 

appropriate hearing was warranted. Id. ¶ 24. 

¶ 29 The State argues that the present case is like Somers. According to the State, Exhibit A 

indicates that the trial court examined defendant’s ability to pay. The State points out that the 

presentencing investigation report, which was considered by the trial court, showed that 
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defendant had not worked since 1998 and had no income. According to the State, the trial 

court ordered the public defender fee contemporaneously with sentencing defendant. We 

disagree. Although there is no question that a sentencing hearing took place and that the trial 

court imposed the public defender fee on the same date as that hearing, Exhibit A does not 

support the conclusion that the trial court conducted a hearing on the issue of the public 

defender fee. A review of the transcript of the sentencing hearing shows that here, unlike in 

Somers, during the hearing the trial court made absolutely no reference to the public defender 

or to its intent to impose the fee. Instead, the fee was imposed at some time after the hearing, 

by written order. There is simply no evidence that there was a hearing “held to resolve 

defendant’s representation by the public defender.” Id. ¶ 20. 

¶ 30 We note that the State makes no argument in the alternative that, despite the absence of a 

hearing, the proper remedy would be to remand for a hearing. Accordingly, we grant 

defendant the relief he seeks, and we vacate the fee outright. 

¶ 31 III. CONCLUSION 

¶ 32 For the reasons stated, we affirm defendant’s burglary conviction, but we vacate the $750 

public defender fee. 

¶ 33 Affirmed in part and vacated in part.