Illinois Official Reports

Appellate Court

People v. Daniel, 2014 IL App (1st) 121171

Appellate Court 

Caption

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

ASHTON DANIEL, Defendant-Appellant.

District & No. First District, Fourth Division

Docket No. 1-12-1171

Filed May 22, 2014

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.)

Defendant’s armed robbery conviction was affirmed where the 

identification procedures were not unduly suggestive, his guilt was 

established beyond a reasonable doubt, and the prosecution’s opening 

statement and closing argument were not improper or prejudicial;

further, defendant’s sentence to 34 years’ imprisonment was not an 

abuse of discretion, the trial court’s error in instructing the jury on 

armed robbery with a dangerous weapon rather than armed robbery 

with a firearm was forfeited and did not rise to the level of plain error, 

and the Apprendi error that occurred when defendant’s use of a

firearm during the armed robbery was not submitted to the jury when 

it was used to enhance his sentence was also forfeited and did not 

constitute plain error; however, defendant’s conviction for unlawful 

restraint arising from the same incident as the armed robbery was

vacated pursuant to the one-act, one-crime doctrine.

Decision Under 

Review

Appeal from the Circuit Court of Cook County, No. 10-CR-15889; the 

Hon. Nicholas Ford, Judge, presiding.

Judgment Affirmed in part and vacated in part.
- 2 -

Counsel on

Appeal

Michael J. Pelletier, Alan D. Goldberg, Lindsey J. Anderson, and S. 

Emily Hartman, all of State Appellate Defender’s Office, of Chicago, 

for appellant.

Anita M. Alvarez, State’s Attorney, of Chicago (Alan J. Spellberg, 

Michelle Katz, Kathleen Warnick, and Susanna Bucaro, Assistant 

State’s Attorneys, of counsel), for the People.

Panel JUSTICE EPSTEIN delivered the judgment of the court, with opinion.

Justices Fitzgerald Smith and Lavin concurred in the judgment and 

opinion.

OPINION

¶ 1 Following a jury trial, defendant Ashton Daniel was convicted of armed robbery and 

aggravated unlawful restraint and sentenced to concurrent 34- and 5-year prison terms. His 

convictions stem from the May 28, 2010, robbery of Ayoob Shafi’s store. Defendant raises 

eight issues on appeal: (1) the photo array and lineup identification procedures were unduly 

suggestive; (2) the State failed to prove him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt; (3) the State 

made improper and prejudicial comments during opening statement and closing argument; 

(4) his sentence is excessive; (5) his aggravated unlawful restraint conviction violates the 

one-act, one-crime doctrine; (6) the jury was not properly instructed regarding armed robbery 

with a firearm; (7) the jury did not make the requisite finding to support a 15-year firearm 

enhancement; and (8) he was improperly assessed a $200 DNA indexing fee. We vacate 

defendant’s aggravated unlawful restraint conviction, because it was carved from the same 

physical acts as his armed robbery conviction. We also vacate his $200 DNA indexing fee 

under People v. Marshall, 242 Ill. 2d 285 (2011), because defendant’s DNA was previously 

obtained and indexed. We otherwise affirm defendant’s conviction and sentence.

¶ 2 BACKGROUND

¶ 3 Shafi and Naveed Khan were working in the rear office of Shafi’s South Side Health 

Food Store at 8609 South Cottage Grove Avenue in Chicago, Illinois. At approximately 3:20 

p.m., Shafi met a customer at the front counter and agreed to check his Link card balance.1

After Shafi swiped the card, the man drew a gun and demanded money. Shafi removed 

money from his cash register, but the man ordered Shafi to lie on the ground, threatened to 

shoot him, and removed additional money from the register. At this point, a second offender 

entered the store. The first man ordered Shafi to crawl to the back of the store and kicked and 

 

1

“A Link card is a public aid card that gives an individual a certain amount of cash and food 

stamps.” People v. Sterling, 357 Ill. App. 3d 235, 239 (2005).
- 3 -

beat him along the way. He demanded more money, and Shafi relinquished his wallet. The 

man placed his gun in Shafi’s mouth and said that he would shoot if Shafi talked. The 

offenders then broke down the door to the rear office and discovered Khan. While they 

threatened Khan, Shafi quickly exited through the front door. The two men briefly chased 

Shafi, but soon fled the scene, absconding with between $450 and $500. The offender left his 

Link card in Shafi’s store.

¶ 4 Shafi described the offender to police as a 5-foot-7-inch, 200- or 210-pound, 

dark-skinned black male between 20 and 25 years old and told Detective Mark Pacelli that he 

had previously seen the man in his store. Pacelli also learned that the Link card belonged to 

defendant and had been used on May 12, 2010–nearly two weeks before the offense. He also 

learned defendant had reported the Link card stolen on June 10, 2010–nearly two weeks after 

the offense. Shafi provided Pacelli with surveillance footage from both May 12 and May 28, 

2010.

¶ 5 On June 16, 2010, Shafi identified defendant in a photo array, stating that “the gentleman 

in picture number 2 looked like the offender, but he could not be a hundred percent certain 

from the photograph” and “would need to see the individual in person to make the 

identification.” On August 22, 2010, following defendant’s arrest for an unrelated offense, 

Shafi identified defendant in a five-person lineup. Khan did not view the lineup, because it 

was a religious holiday.

¶ 6 Prior to trial, defendant moved to suppress Shafi’s identification. At the hearing on the 

motion, the parties stipulated that Shafi described the offender as a black male, 5 feet 8 

inches to 5 feet 10 inches tall, 200 to 210 pounds, and between 20 and 25 years old. The 

parties further stipulated that Shafi viewed a photo array on June 16, 2010, and identified 

defendant, but stated that “he could not be certain from the picture” and “would need to see 

the offender in person.” Shafi subsequently viewed a lineup and identified defendant.

Defendant argued that the identification procedure was unduly suggestive, where he was the 

only person in both the photo array and the lineup. The trial court denied defendant’s motion, 

and the case proceeded to trial.

¶ 7 Shafi and Khan identified defendant at trial. In addition to presenting the testimony of 

Shafi, Khan, and several police officers, the State admitted photographs of the scene and 

Shafi’s injuries; surveillance footage from May 28, 2010; still photographs taken from the 

May 12 and May 28, 2010, surveillance videos; a copy of the June 16, 2010, photo array; and 

a photograph of the August 22, 2010 lineup. Defendant presented no evidence. The jury 

found defendant guilty of armed robbery and aggravated unlawful restraint. Defendant was 

sentenced to concurrent terms of 34 and 5 years’ imprisonment. He timely appealed.

¶ 8 ANALYSIS

¶ 9 Identification Procedures

¶ 10 Defendant argues that Shafi’s pretrial and in-court identifications were tainted by 

improper identification procedures and must be suppressed. According to defendant, Shafi’s 

identification three months after the offense was based, not on his independent recollection, 
- 4 -

but on the May 12, 2010, surveillance footage that police improperly encouraged Shafi to 

view. Defendant further argues that he was dissimilar to the other subjects in the photo array, 

and he was the only subject in common between the photo array and lineup. The State 

responds that the identification procedures were proper, and Shafi identified defendant 

because he had seen defendant in his store on previous occasions and had ample opportunity 

to observe him during the offense. We hold that the identification procedures here were not 

impermissibly suggestive.

¶ 11 When reviewing a trial court’s ruling on a motion to suppress, we accord great deference 

to the trial court’s factual findings and will not disturb those findings unless they are against 

the manifest weight of the evidence. People v. Sorenson, 196 Ill. 2d 425, 431 (2001). We 

review the ultimate legal challenge de novo. Id.

¶ 12 “The vagaries of eyewitness identification are well-known; the annals of criminal law are 

rife with instances of mistaken identification.” United States v. Wade, 388 U.S. 218, 228 

(1967). Thus, Illinois mandates that photo array suspects “not appear to be substantially 

different from ‘fillers’ or ‘distracters’ in the *** photo spread, based on the eyewitness’

previous description of the perpetrator, or based on other factors that would draw attention to 

the suspect.” 725 ILCS 5/107A-5 (West 2010). On appeal, however, defendant bears the 

burden of proving that a pretrial identification was impermissibly suggestive. People v. 

Brooks, 187 Ill. 2d 91, 126 (1999). Even where a defendant meets this burden, the State may 

show by clear and convincing evidence that the identification was based on the witness’s 

independent recollection. Id. In reviewing a trial court’s ruling on a motion to suppress, we 

may consider evidence presented at the hearing on the motion to suppress, as well as 

evidence presented at trial. Id. at 127-28.

¶ 13 Here, at the hearing on defendant’s motion to suppress, the parties stipulated that Shafi 

described the primary offender as a black male, 5 feet 8 inches to 5 feet 10 inches tall, 200 to 

210 pounds, and between 20 and 25 years old. Upon viewing a photo array on June 16, 2010, 

Shafi identified defendant, but stated that “he could not be certain from the picture” and 

“would need to see the offender in person.” Shafi later viewed a lineup and identified 

defendant, the only person present in both the photo array and lineup. The trial court denied 

defendant’s motion to suppress, reasoning that suspects are often the only persons present in 

both the photo array and lineup of a given case. Shafi and Khan both identified defendant at 

trial.

¶ 14 Defendant raises several arguments on appeal. The State responds that defendant 

forfeited many of these arguments by failing to raise them in his motion to suppress.

However, the issue raised on appeal need not be identical to that raised below. People v. 

Lovejoy, 235 Ill. 2d 97, 148 (2009). Rather, a claim is preserved if the trial court had an 

opportunity to address the essential claim. Id. Here, because the trial court had an opportunity 

to address defendant’s essential claim, we reject the State’s forfeiture argument and address 

this claim on its merits.

¶ 15 Defendant first argues that the photo array was unduly suggestive, because he was the 

only subject who fit Shafi’s description to police. On the date of the offense, Shafi described 

the offender as a 5-foot-7-inch, 200- or 210-pound, dark-skinned black male between 20 and 
- 5 -

25 years old. Each of the six persons represented in the photo array was a “dark-skinned 

black male” and, with one exception, appears to fall within the 20-to-25-year age range.

Defendant complains that he appears shorter than the other photo array participants and was 

the only subject without facial hair. This claim fails, as the photo array displayed only 

headshots and contained no references to height. As to facial hair, each of the photo array 

subjects–including defendant–appears to have a thin mustache or goatee. None wore a full 

beard. Defendant does not stand out in this regard. Even if he did, Shafi’s description of the 

offender had no mention of the presence or absence of facial hair. He further complains that 

he was the only person in the array wearing a white shirt similar to that worn by the offender.

Yet half of the six subjects wore a white shirt. Each of the subjects has slightly different hair, 

features, and clothing, but all–including defendant–match Shafi’s general description. Of 

course, it is evident that the clothes a person wears in a file photograph, especially one as 

common as a white shirt, would have little, if any, effect on an identification. The photo array 

in no way supports defendant’s claim that “it is jarringly apparent that Daniel is the sole 

participant who is not like the others.”

¶ 16 Defendant next contends that police improperly encouraged Shafi to view the May 12, 

2010, surveillance video before identifying defendant. The record in this case utterly fails to 

support defendant’s claim. At trial, Shafi admitted that he viewed the May 12, 2010, video 

before producing a copy for police. However, the testimony established only that police 

asked Shafi for a copy of the May 12 surveillance footage after they determined that 

someone had used defendant’s Link card at Shafi’s store on that date. There was no evidence 

that police encouraged Shafi to view the video prior to its production, nor any evidence that 

police told him that the person appearing in the May 12 video was the offender on May 28.

Defendant’s claim rests on a distortion of the record in this case.

¶ 17 Defendant further argues that he was the only “repeat player” in the identification 

procedures. That is, he was the only person in both the photo array and the lineup, increasing 

the chances that Shafi would identify him as the offender and rendering the identification 

procedures unduly suggestive. Illinois courts have repeatedly rejected this argument: 

“[l]ineups are not rendered inadequate *** merely because the defendant is the only 

individual in the lineup who was also in the” photo array. People v. Johnson, 149 Ill. 2d 118, 

148 (1992); see also People v. Curtis, 262 Ill. App. 3d 876, 883-84 (1994) (same); People v. 

Favors, 254 Ill. App. 3d 876, 883 (1993) (same). We, too, hold that this fact alone does not 

render identification procedures impermissibly suggestive. Given the overwhelming 

difficulty of producing the same people in a photo array at a lineup, which is often held 

weeks or months later, to rule otherwise would compel police to eliminate one of these 

identification procedures, often to the detriment of suspects.

¶ 18 Defendant also complains that the lineup was unduly suggestive, because he stood “off to 

the right slightly away from the other four people,” and because the police selected lineup 

participants from lockup who resembled defendant rather than tailoring the lineup to Shafi’s 

descriptions to police. It is unclear why standing approximately four inches away from the 

other lineup participants–who, in turn, stood approximately one or two inches away from 

each other–would render a lineup unduly suggestive. Further, defendant concedes that police 
- 6 -

chose persons from lockup on the basis of their resemblance to him. Police therefore 

complied with Illinois law, which requires that “[s]uspects in a lineup *** should not appear 

to be substantially different from ‘fillers’ or ‘distracters’ in the lineup.” 725 ILCS 5/107A-5 

(West 2010).

¶ 19 Defendant compares this case to Foster v. California, 394 U.S. 440 (1969). In Foster, the 

identifying witness viewed a lineup in which the defendant was six inches taller than any 

other lineup participant and was the only one wearing a leather jacket similar to the one worn 

by the robber. Id. at 441. Unable to identify the defendant in the lineup, the witness was 

allowed to confront the defendant one-on-one in an office at the police station. Id. Still 

unsure, the witness was allowed to view yet another lineup approximately one week later. Id.

The defendant was the only person in common between the two lineups. Id. at 441-42. This 

case bears little resemblance to Foster. In Foster, the police refused to accept the witness’s 

inability to identify the defendant as the robber and provided increasingly suggestive 

procedures until identification occurred. In this case, Shafi viewed a single, nonsuggestive 

lineup.

¶ 20 Defendant also contends that Shafi’s in-court identification was “weak at best” and 

should be suppressed. Specifically, defendant claims that Shafi could not identify him in 

court until he stood up and walked around the courtroom. The record demonstrates, however, 

that this was due to a television blocking Shafi’s view of defendant, not to any hesitation in 

identifying defendant.

¶ 21 Even if the identification procedures in this case had been impermissibly suggestive, 

there was strong evidence that Shafi identified defendant based on his own independent 

recollection. See People v. McTush, 81 Ill. 2d 513, 520 (1980) (“While it is the defendant’s 

burden to establish that the pretrial confrontation was impermissibly suggestive [citation], 

once accomplished, the State may nevertheless overcome that obstacle, by a clear and 

convincing showing, based on the totality of the surrounding circumstances, that ‘the witness 

is identifying the defendant solely on the basis of his memory of events at the time of the 

crime.’ [Citation.]”). When evaluating identifications, Illinois courts look to (1) the 

opportunity the victim had to view the criminal at the time of the crime; (2) the witness’s 

degree of attention; (3) the accuracy of the witness’s prior description of the criminal; (4) the 

level of certainty demonstrated by the victim upon identification; and (5) the length of time 

between the crime and the identification. People v. Slim, 127 Ill. 2d 302, 307-08 (1989) 

(citing Neil v. Biggers, 409 U.S. 188, 199-200 (1972)).

¶ 22 Shafi had ample opportunity to observe defendant. He met defendant at the front counter, 

agreed to swipe his Link card, and handed him a pad in which to enter his personal 

identification before defendant drew a weapon. He had further opportunity to view defendant 

during the remainder of the offense, including the moment the defendant placed a gun in his 

mouth. As to the second factor, Shafi paid sufficient attention to the offender to recognize 

him as a returning customer. With the exception of weight, Shafi’s description of defendant 

as a 5-foot-7-inch, 200- or 210-pound, dark-skinned black male between 20 and 25 years old 

was accurate. Indeed, when defendant was arrested approximately three months later, the 

arrest report described a 24-year old “male black,” “5’8”,” “156 lbs” with “Dark Brown 
- 7 -

Complexion.” The arrest report weight description was taken from defendant’s driver’s 

license and was not based on personal observation or use of a scale. While Shafi 

demonstrated slight uncertainty during the photo array procedure–he said he “could not be a 

hundred percent certain from the photograph” and “would need to see the individual in 

person to make the identification”–he exhibited no uncertainty during the lineup procedure.

Further, Shafi’s identification occurred within three months of the crime, and Shafi 

recognized the offender from a previous encounter at his store. Accordingly, we reject 

defendant’s argument that the identification procedures in this case were unduly suggestive.

¶ 23 Reasonable Doubt

¶ 24 Defendant argues that the State failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he was the 

offender. The State responds that two eyewitness identifications, defendant’s Link card, and 

surveillance footage supported his convictions. We reject defendant’s argument.

¶ 25 The State must prove each element of an offense beyond a reasonable doubt. Jackson v. 

Virginia, 443 U.S. 307, 315-16 (1979); In re Winship, 397 U.S. 358, 361-64 (1970). Where a 

defendant alleges that the State failed to meet its burden, a reviewing court, considering the 

evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution, must determine whether any rational 

trier of fact could have found beyond a reasonable doubt the essential elements of the crime.

Jackson, 443 U.S. at 318-19. We will not reverse a conviction unless the evidence is so 

unreasonable, improbable, or unsatisfactory that it raises a reasonable doubt of defendant’s 

guilt. People v. Evans, 209 Ill. 2d 194, 209 (2004). As discussed above, when evaluating 

identifications, Illinois courts look to (1) the opportunity the victim had to view the criminal 

at the time of the crime; (2) the witness’s degree of attention; (3) the accuracy of the 

witness’s prior description of the criminal; (4) the level of certainty demonstrated by the 

victim upon identification; and (5) the length of time between the crime and the 

identification. People v. Slim, 127 Ill. 2d at 307-08.

¶ 26 Shafi had ample opportunity to view the defendant. Shafi recognized defendant as a 

returning customer and accurately described him as a 5-foot-7-inch, dark-skinned black male 

between 20 and 25 years old. While Shafi demonstrated slight uncertainty during the photo 

array procedure, he exhibited no uncertainty during the lineup procedures. Shafi’s 

identification occurred within three months of the crime. Khan’s identification exhibited 

fewer indicia of reliability than Shafi’s. Khan had little time to observe the offender, as he 

was locked in the office in the back of the store for much of the offense. When he viewed the 

offender, it was for a brief period of time before the offender pursued Shafi out of the store.

Khan gave no description to police following the offense and identified defendant only at 

trial, nearly eight months after the offense. Had defendant’s conviction turned solely on 

Khan’s identification, defendant’s argument would carry greater weight. However, 

defendant’s conviction rested not only on Khan’s identification, but Shafi’s identifications, 

the Link card, and surveillance footage as well.

¶ 27 Defendant addresses the Link card and surveillance footage only briefly, arguing that 

they did not implicate him, because he “reported his Link card stolen” and “[t]he perpetrator 

in the video appears heavier than” him. Defendant reported his Link card stolen not before
- 8 -

but, rather, nearly two weeks after the offense. This fact renders the claim that the card was 

stolen largely inconsequential. The surveillance footage, taken from multiple cameras in the 

store, is certainly blurry at times. Nonetheless, it tends to support the conclusion that 

defendant was the offender in this case. Despite his contention to the contrary, the footage 

does not depict someone noticeably heavier than defendant.

¶ 28 A single, reliable eyewitness may be enough to sustain a conviction. People v. Lewis, 165 

Ill. 2d 305, 356 (1995). Here, the State presented two eyewitnesses, defendant’s Link card, 

and surveillance footage tying defendant to this offense. Viewing this evidence in the light 

most favorable to the prosecution, we cannot say that no rational trier of fact could have 

found beyond a reasonable doubt that defendant was the offender. Jackson, 443 U.S. at 

318-19.

¶ 29 Comments by the Prosecution

¶ 30 Defendant argues that the State’s assertions in opening statement and closing argument 

that defendant “shattered” or “destroyed” Shafi’s “American dream” deprived him of a fair 

trial. The State responds that defendant forfeited this argument and, regardless of forfeiture, 

the statements were neither improper nor prejudicial. Because defendant failed to object at 

trial, we hold that defendant forfeited review of this issue. We further hold that the State’s 

comments were not improper.

¶ 31 Defendant concedes that he failed to preserve this issue for appellate review. He argues, 

however, that we should review this issue under the plain-error doctrine. We must first 

determine whether error occurred. People v. Piatkowski, 225 Ill. 2d 551, 565 (2007).

¶ 32 Initially, the parties disagree about the proper standard of review. As we observed in 

People v. Hayes, 409 Ill. App. 3d 612, 624 (2011), there appears to be a conflict among 

Illinois Supreme Court cases regarding the correct standard for reviewing remarks during 

argument. People v. Wheeler, 226 Ill. 2d 92, 121 (2007), and People v. Sims, 192 Ill. 2d 592, 

615 (2000), suggest we should review this issue de novo, because the prosecutor’s statements 

are reflected in the transcripts and are therefore undisputed, leaving only a legal question.

People v. Hudson, 157 Ill. 2d 401, 441 (1993), suggests that the trial court is in a better 

position to rule on objections during closing argument, and the standard is therefore abuse of 

discretion. We need not take a position in this case, as defendant’s claim fails under either 

standard. See People v. Johnson, 385 Ill. App. 3d 585, 603 (2008) (“[W]e do not need to 

resolve the issue of the appropriate standard of review at this time, because our holding in 

this case would be the same under either standard.”).

¶ 33 Prosecutors are allowed a great deal of latitude during closing argument and may 

comment upon and draw reasonable inferences from the evidence presented. Hudson, 157 Ill. 

2d at 441. They must refrain, however, from improper prejudicial arguments or comments.

Id. Prosecutorial misconduct in closing argument warrants a new trial if the improper 

remarks were a material factor in the conviction. People v. Linscott, 142 Ill. 2d 22, 28 (1991).

We must ask whether the jury could have reached a contrary verdict had the remarks not 

been made. Id.
- 9 -

¶ 34 Defendant complains of two comments, the first of which can be found in the 

prosecution’s opening statement:

“Ayoob Shafi *** came to this country for the American dream. He came here to 

make a better life for himself and to make a better life for his family. And he did that 

by opening a health food store. He opened this store hoping to achieve the American 

Dream.

You’re going to hear how his dreams were shattered by this man (indicating) on 

May the 28th of 2010.”

The second arose in the State’s argument in rebuttal:

“He came here because he wanted a better life, he wanted to be successful. And once 

he got here he sought an education, and he sought the American dream and he opened 

a health food store at 8609 South Cottage Grove. This was his American dream that 

he sought which was destroyed by one man. And the evidence fully supports that it 

was, in fact, one man, the man who sits before you today, Ashton Daniel, who 

shattered his American dream ***.”

Defendant also notes that he objected when “the State *** elicited evidence that Ayoob Shafi 

came to America for an education and a ‘successful life,’ after his mother died in 1982.”

¶ 35 We hold that the State’s comments did not constitute error. In People v. Bass, 220 Ill. 

App. 3d 230, 236, 252 (1991), the State elicited testimony and asserted both in opening 

statement and in closing argument that the decedent was pursuing his “American dream” by 

immigrating to the United States and opening his own bar, and the defendant destroyed that 

dream when he murdered him. Id. We held that “the argument and testimony defendant 

complains of were sufficiently brief and curtailed so as not to constitute a passionate appeal 

to the jurors’ sympathies, and was a fair comment on the unfortunate circumstances and 

effect of the incident.” Id. at 252; see also People v. Enis, 163 Ill. 2d 367, 409 (1994) 

(defendant received a fair trial, despite prosecutor’s argument that decedent “ ‘came here 

from the Philippines *** to live her American dream’ ” but because of the defendant suffered 

“ ‘her American nightmare’ ”).

¶ 36 Here, as in Bass, the State’s comments were brief and did not deny defendant a fair trial.

Prosecutors are allowed a great deal of latitude during argument. Hudson, 157 Ill. 2d at 441.

Although the prosecutor’s arguments suffered from hyperbole and dramatic rhetorical 

flourishes, these incidents were isolated and not especially prejudicial. Nor was the brief 

background information regarding defendant’s immigration and the death of his mother 

prejudicial. See People v. Pasch, 152 Ill. 2d 133, 199 (1992) (evidence regarding decedent’s 

family not prejudicial, where isolated, sporadic, and incidental to other relevant testimony).

Accordingly, the State’s arguments in opening and closing were not improper. Error did not 

occur, therefore we need not engage in a plain-error analysis.

¶ 37 Excessive Sentence

¶ 38 Defendant argues that his 34-year sentence is excessive, where the trial court failed to 

consider that he maintained steady employment despite suffering an unstable childhood and, 
- 10 -

later, drug addiction. The State responds that the trial court properly sentenced defendant 

within the statutory range. The trial court properly considered the evidence in mitigation, and 

therefore we agree with the State.

¶ 39 Illinois Supreme Court Rule 615(b)(4) gives reviewing courts the power to reduce a 

defendant’s sentence. Ill. S. Ct. R. 615(b)(4) (eff. Jan. 1, 1967). However, a trial court’s 

sentencing decision is entitled to great deference. People v. Stacey, 193 Ill. 2d 203, 209 

(2000). Trial courts are in a far better position to assess a defendant’s credibility, demeanor, 

general moral character, social environment, habits, and age. People v. Fern, 189 Ill. 2d 48, 

53 (1999). A reviewing court must therefore not substitute its judgment for that of the trial 

court simply because it would have weighed the factors in aggravation and mitigation 

differently. Id. A reviewing court may not alter a defendant’s sentence absent an abuse of 

discretion. People v. Alexander, 239 Ill. 2d 205, 212 (2010). The trial court abuses its 

discretion where the sentence is greatly at variance with the spirit and purpose of the law or 

manifestly disproportionate to the nature of the offense. Id.

¶ 40 Defendant argues that “there is no indication that rehabilitation was considered as a goal”

and lists three mitigating factors that, according to him, call for sentence reduction. First, he 

notes that he has suffered from drug and alcohol addiction and has expressed a desire to seek 

treatment. See People v. Whealon, 185 Ill. App. 3d 570, 574 (1989) (drug addiction may be 

considered a mitigating factor in certain cases). Defendant complains that “the court did not 

mention this factor in mitigation whatsoever.” He also notes that he had an unstable 

childhood that included physical abuse and the involvement of the Department of Children 

and Family Services (DCFS). Finally, he recounts his work history, which includes work in 

the Job Corps, a pawn shop, and a rehabilitation center. He also obtained an unarmed security 

training certificate.

¶ 41 Trial courts are not required to expressly list each of the factors it considers during 

sentencing. People v. Jones, 2014 IL App (1st) 120927, ¶ 55. Rather, absent affirmative 

indication to the contrary, we must presume that the court considered all mitigating factors 

on the record. Id.; People v. Tuduj, 2014 IL App (1st) 092536, ¶ 112. Here, there is no 

evidence that the trial court failed to consider factors in mitigation. Defense counsel noted 

that defendant “was physically abused by his father from a young age, so much so that DCFS 

was called and he was taken into their custody and placed with his grandmother.” Counsel 

also discussed defendant’s employment history, indeed, in greater detail than defendant does 

on appeal. These facts were also included in his presentence investigation report, as was his 

drug and alcohol addiction.

¶ 42 After hearing this evidence, the trial court stated, “I am here considering the evidence 

presented at trial; the presentence investigation report, which I have read; the evidence 

offered in aggravated/mitigation; statutory factors in aggravation/mitigation; the financial 

impact of incarceration; as well as the arguments of the two attorneys that appeared here 

before me today ***.” The court went on to expressly consider defendant’s difficult 

childhood: “Obviously he was in a kind of destructive environment during the course of his 

youth, was involved in a series of fairly serious life changes, you know, non supportive 
- 11 -

parents, numerous school changes. I am taking that into account.” The court then described 

the vicious nature of the offense.

¶ 43 Armed robbery is a Class X felony, punishable by 6 to 30 years’ imprisonment. 720 ILCS 

5/18-2(a)(2) (West 2010). Where, as here, a defendant carries on or about his person or is 

otherwise armed with a firearm, 15 years must be added to the term of imprisonment. 720 

ILCS 5/18-2(b) (West 2010). Thus, the statutory sentencing range in this case was 21 to 45 

years’ imprisonment. Defendant was sentenced to a 34-year term–near the center of the 

statutory range. Each of the factors in mitigation he listed was discussed by his attorney 

during sentencing or included in his presentence investigation report. Not only did the trial 

court state that it was considering all of the evidence in mitigation, it expressly discussed 

defendant’s childhood. Given the record in this case, we cannot say that the trial court abused 

its discretion in sentencing defendant to 34 years’ imprisonment.

¶ 44 One Act, One Crime

¶ 45 Defendant argues that we should vacate his aggravated unlawful restraint conviction 

under the one-act, one-crime doctrine, where it stemmed from the same acts as his armed 

robbery conviction. The State responds that both convictions should stand, because defendant 

engaged in multiple acts. We agree with defendant and vacate his aggravated unlawful 

restraint conviction, because Shafi’s restraint did not exceed that inherent in the armed 

robbery.

¶ 46 We review this issue de novo. People v. Johnson, 237 Ill. 2d 81, 97 (2010). Although 

defendant failed to preserve this issue, we may review one-act, one-crime claims under the 

plain-error doctrine. See People v. Nunez, 236 Ill. 2d 488, 493 (2010) (one-act, one-crime 

violations affect the integrity of the judicial process and may therefore be reviewed under the 

second plain-error prong); In re Samantha V., 234 Ill. 2d 359, 378 (2009) (same).

¶ 47 Defendant argues in part that his aggravated unlawful restraint conviction cannot stand, 

because “there is no evidence here that any detention of Shafi had any purpose other than 

*** the armed robbery” and that, “in many [armed robbery] cases, the overriding intent of 

the offender is something other than detention.” (Emphases in original.) Defendant’s focus 

on purpose and intent is misplaced. Although Illinois courts once considered whether 

offenses were independently motivated to determine if multiple convictions were 

appropriate, our supreme court rejected the so-called “independent motivation test” in favor 

of the one-act, one-crime doctrine in 1977. See People v. King, 66 Ill. 2d 551, 560, 566 

(1977) (“We *** reject the ‘independent motivation’ test as a standard for determining 

whether multiple convictions and concurrent sentences are permissible.”).

¶ 48 In People v. King, our supreme court explained that “[p]rejudice results to the defendant 

*** where more than one offense is carved from the same physical act.” King, 66 Ill. 2d at 

566. The court defined an “act” as “any overt or outward manifestation which will support a 

different offense.” Id. In People v. Rodriguez, 169 Ill. 2d 183, 186 (1996), the court explained 

that, in addressing one-act, one-crime claims, we must first determine whether a defendant’s 

conduct constituted separate acts or a single act. Id. at 186. If we determine that the 
- 12 -

defendant committed multiple acts, we must determine whether any of the offenses were 

lesser-included offenses. Id. If so, multiple convictions are also improper. Id. Put another 

way, multiple convictions may stand only where the defendant committed separate physical 

acts and none of the offenses are lesser-included offenses. People v. Harvey, 211 Ill. 2d 368,

389-90 (2004).

¶ 49 Aggravated unlawful restraint is not a lesser-included offense of armed robbery. People v. 

Crespo, 118 Ill. App. 3d 815 (1983). We must focus, then, on whether defendant’s 

convictions for armed robbery and aggravated unlawful restraint were carved from the same 

physical act. The State charged defendant with two counts, both pertaining to Shafi. The 

armed robbery count alleged the following:

“Ashton Daniel committed the offense of armed robbery in that HE, KNOWINGLY 

TOOK PROPERTY, TO WIT: UNITED STATES CURRENCY, FROM THE 

PERSON OR PRESENCE OF AYOOB SHAFI, BY THE USE OF FORCE OR BY 

THREATENING THE IMMINENT USE OF FORCE AND DEFENDANT 

CARRIED ON OR ABOUT HIS PERSON OR WAS OTHERWISE ARMED WITH 

A FIREARM ***.”

The aggravated unlawful restraint count alleged the following:

“Ashton Daniel committed the offense of AGGRAVATED UNLAWFUL 

RESTRAINT in that HE, KNOWINGLY WITHOUT LEGAL AUTHORITY 

DETAINED AYOOB SHAFI, WHILE USING A DEADLY WEAPON, TO WIT: A 

FIREARM.”

Although the State could have charged defendant with Khan’s unlawful restraint or battery, it 

chose not to. See People v. Crespo, 203 Ill. 2d 335, 345 (2001) (“the indictment must indicate 

that the State intended to treat the conduct of defendant as multiple acts in order for multiple 

convictions to be sustained”). Thus, our analysis is limited to whether defendant’s conduct 

toward Shafi constituted multiple acts.

¶ 50 A person commits the offense of aggravated unlawful restraint when he or she knowingly 

without legal authority detains another while using a deadly weapon. 720 ILCS 5/10-3(a), 

10-3.1(a) (West 2010). The key concern for unlawful restraint is whether a person was 

detained, that is, whether that person’s “freedom of locomotion was *** impaired.” People v. 

Satterthwaite, 72 Ill. App. 3d 483, 485 (1979). Neither physical force nor the presence of a 

weapon is required. People v. Bowen, 241 Ill. App. 3d 608, 627-28 (1993); see also 1 John F. 

Decker & Christopher Kopacz, Illinois Criminal Law § 7.04(a), at 7-23 (5th ed. 2012) 

(collecting cases). As charged in the instant case, a person commits armed robbery when he 

or she knowingly takes property from the person or presence of another by the use of force or 

by threatening the imminent use of force and he or she carries on or about his or her person 

or is otherwise armed with a firearm. 720 ILCS 5/18-1, 18-2 (West 2010).

¶ 51 In determining whether a defendant committed a separate physical act of unlawful 

restraint, Illinois courts have looked at whether the restraint was “independent” of the 

physical act underlying the other offense (see, e.g., People v. Bowen, 241 Ill. App. 3d 608, 

628 (1993); People v. Leonhardt, 173 Ill. App. 3d 314, 322 (1988); People v. Alvarado, 235 
- 13 -

Ill. App. 3d 116, 117 (1992)); went “further than” the restraint inherent in the other offense 

(see, e.g., People v. Yeast, 236 Ill. App. 3d 84, 90 (1992)); or occurred simultaneously (see, 

e.g., People v. Wrightner, 219 Ill. App. 3d 231 (1991)). In People v. Kuykendall, 108 Ill. App. 

3d 708, 710 (1982), the court observed that “[n]early every offense against the person 

necessarily involves a degree of restraint; for example, a rape precludes mobility; and to take 

an extreme example, a homicide precludes mobility–a corpse cannot move from one place to 

another.”

¶ 52 In People v. Lee, 376 Ill. App. 3d 951, 953 (2007), the defendant approached a husband 

and wife and their 11-year-old son as they left a liquor store. Id. He displayed a gun and 

demanded money. Id. The wife screamed, and the husband handed him $10. Id. Defendant 

entered a waiting car and departed. Id. He was convicted of three counts of aggravated 

unlawful restraint–each pertaining to one of the three family members–and one count of 

armed robbery. Id. at 952. Defendant argued on appeal that his aggravated unlawful restraint 

convictions were based on the same physical act as his armed robbery conviction in violation 

of the one-act, one-crime doctrine. Id. at 956. The State conceded that the aggravated 

unlawful restraint conviction pertaining to the husband was carved from the same physical 

act as the armed robbery conviction. Id. at 957. The appellate court agreed and vacated that 

conviction. Id. The court refused to vacate the counts pertaining to the wife and child, 

however, because separate convictions based on one act are proper when there are multiple 

victims. Id.

¶ 53 In People v. Williams, 143 Ill. App. 3d 658 (1986), the defendant approached a woman as 

she entered her car, displayed a gun, and told her to get inside. Id. at 660. He ordered the 

owner to sit down and place her head between her legs. Id. Defendant then drove around for 

20 or 30 minutes before taking money from the owner’s purse and ordering her out of the car.

Id. Defendant was convicted of armed robbery and unlawful restraint. Id. On appeal, 

defendant argued that his unlawful restraint conviction should be vacated because it was 

“incidental” to the armed robbery. Id. at 667. The appellate court concluded that “defendant’s 

[unlawful restraint] conviction was proper because the conduct comprising the offense was 

an act separate from the armed robbery, was not necessary to effectuate the armed robbery, 

exceeded the force requirement of armed robbery, and each of the offenses required proof of 

different elements.” Id.; see also People v. Crespo, 118 Ill. App. 3d 815, 822-24 (1983) 

(codefendants committed two separate acts: armed robbery by producing a knife upon 

entering tavern and threatening to shoot anyone who withheld money, and unlawful restraint 

by ordering patrons onto floor and holding an employee at knifepoint).

¶ 54 Here, defendant’s aggravated unlawful restraint conviction was carved from the same 

physical act as his armed robbery conviction. Although defendant restrained Shafi, that 

restraint was not a separate or independent physical act. Rather, the armed robbery in this 

case was ongoing until Shafi escaped through the front door. Defendant took property from 

Shafi during three closely related interactions, each by the use or threat of force. Defendant 

first threatened the imminent use of force by displaying a gun. Shafi then removed money 

from the register. Defendant again threatened the imminent use of force, ordering Shafi to lie 

on the ground and threatening to shoot him if he moved. He then removed more money from 
- 14 -

the register. Finally, defendant kicked and beat Shafi and demanded more money as Shafi 

crawled toward the back of the store. Shafi surrendered his wallet, and defendant placed a 

gun in Shafi’s mouth.

¶ 55 There was, in short, no separate act of restraint in this case. Defendant robbed Shafi of 

the money in the cash register twice, and then robbed him of his wallet, all the while 

threatening or using force. As with the armed robbery of the husband in Lee, the restraint 

effectuated by defendant was inherent in the armed robbery, not independent of it. Unlike the 

defendant in Williams, defendant here did not restrain any person for 20 or 30 minutes in 

addition to the armed robbery. Instead, defendant restrained Shafi from the beginning until 

the end of the armed robbery–that is, from the moment he displayed a gun and demanded 

money, until the moment he took Shafi’s wallet and placed a gun in his mouth. We therefore 

hold that defendant’s aggravated unlawful restraint conviction must be vacated, where it 

rested on the same physical act as his armed robbery conviction.

¶ 56 Jury Instructions

¶ 57 Defendant asserts that, although he was charged with armed robbery with a firearm, the 

trial court improperly instructed the jury on the offense of armed robbery with a dangerous 

weapon. The State responds that defendant forfeited appellate review of this issue. We hold 

that, although the trial court erred, defendant forfeited this issue, and the error does not rise to 

the level of plain error.

¶ 58 Jury instructions are intended to guide the jury and assist in its deliberations and in 

reaching a proper verdict. People v. Parker, 223 Ill. 2d 494, 501 (2006). Instructions should 

be construed as a whole, and we must first determine whether the instructions fairly, fully, 

and comprehensively advised the jury of the relevant legal principles. Id. We review de novo

whether jury instructions accurately convey the law. People v. Watt, 2013 IL App (2d) 

120183, ¶ 30; Parker, 223 Ill. 2d at 501.

¶ 59 Here, defendant was charged with committing armed robbery while carrying a “firearm,”

but the definition instruction given to the jury discussed being armed with a dangerous 

weapon:

“A person commits the offense of armed robbery when he, while carrying on or 

about his person, or while otherwise armed with a dangerous weapon, knowingly 

takes property from the person or presence of another by the use of force or by 

threatening the imminent use of force.” (Emphasis added.) Illinois Pattern Jury 

Instructions, Criminal, No. 14.05 (4th ed. 2000) (hereinafter, IPI Criminal 4th No. 

14.05).

Similarly, the instruction listing the elements for armed robbery mentioned a dangerous 

weapon, rather than a firearm:

“To sustain the charge of armed robbery, the State must prove the following 

propositions:

First: That the defendant knowingly took property from the person or presence of

Ayoob Shafi; and
- 15 -

Second: That the defendant, did so by the use of force or by threatening the

imminent use of force; and

Third: That the defendant carried on or about his person a dangerous weapon or

was otherwise armed with a firearm at the time of the taking.” (Emphasis added.)

IPI Criminal 4th No. 14.06. The trial court delivered these instructions both orally and in 

writing.

¶ 60 Defendant contends that these instructions misstate the law, because armed robbery with 

a “firearm” and armed robbery with a “dangerous weapon other than a firearm” fall under 

different subsections of the armed robbery statute. Compare 720 ILCS 5/18-2(a)(2) (West 

2010), with 720 ILCS 5/18-2(a)(1) (West 2010). However, he did not preserve this issue for 

appellate review. In order to preserve an error in jury instructions for appeal, a criminal 

defendant must make a specific objection at the time of the instructions conference and raise 

the issue in a posttrial motion. People v. Watt, 2013 IL App (2d) 120183, ¶ 33 (citing People 

v. Enoch, 122 Ill. 2d 176, 186 (1988)). Defendant concedes that he neither objected to the 

jury instructions during the conference nor raised the issue in a posttrial motion. Nonetheless, 

he argues that we should review the issue as plain error. People v. Thompson, 238 Ill. 2d 598, 

611 (2010) (“When a defendant has forfeited appellate review of an issue, the reviewing 

court will consider only plain error.”). As we discussed above, the plain-error doctrine 

“permits a reviewing court to consider unpreserved error when (1) a clear or obvious error 

occurred and the evidence is so closely balanced that the error alone threatened to tip the 

scales of justice against the defendant, regardless of the seriousness of the error, or (2) a clear 

or obvious error occurred and that error is so serious that it affected the fairness of the 

defendant’s trial and challenged the integrity of the judicial process, regardless of the 

closeness of the evidence.” People v. Sargent, 239 Ill. 2d 166, 189 (2010). We must first 

decide whether the jury instructions constitute error. Piatkowski, 225 Ill. 2d at 565.

¶ 61 In People v. Watt, 2013 IL App (2d) 120183, ¶¶ 1, 29, the defendant was charged with 

and convicted of armed robbery while carrying a firearm pursuant to section 18-2(a)(2). See 

720 ILCS 5/18-2(a)(2) (West 2010). However, the trial court instructed the jury regarding 

armed robbery with a dangerous weapon under section 18-2(a)(1) of the Illinois Criminal 

Code of 1961 (720 ILCS 5/18-2(a)(1) (West 2010)). Watt, 2013 IL App (2d) 120183, ¶ 31.

On appeal the Watt court held that these jury instructions “did not accurately state the law,”

because they failed to reflect substantive changes in an amendment to the armed robbery law 

made in January of 2000. Id. ¶ 32. Prior to the 2000 amendment, a defendant committed 

armed robbery if, at the time of the offense, he carried “a dangerous weapon.” People v. 

Washington, 2012 IL 107993, ¶ 6. The amendment created two ways to commit robbery: 

robbery with a “firearm” and robbery with a “dangerous weapon other than a firearm.” Id.;

720 ILCS 5/18-2(a)(1), (2) (West 2010). The Watt court held that the trial court erred in 

giving the outdated instructions. Watt, 2013 IL App (2d) 120183, ¶ 36. We agree with the 

Watt court and hold it was error for the trial court to give IPI Criminal 4th Nos. 14.05 and 

14.06. See also People v. Ware, 2014 IL App (1st) 120485, ¶ 18 (reaching the same result).

¶ 62 We turn now to our plain-error analysis. Defendant contends that the first prong is 

satisfied, because the evidence is closely balanced, and the jury could have found that he was 
- 16 -

carrying a mere bludgeon or some other type of dangerous weapon, and not a firearm. The 

State counters that there was ample evidence to convict defendant and to show that he was 

armed with a firearm. We agree with the State. There was strong evidence of defendant’s 

guilt and overwhelming evidence that he was armed with a firearm. Indeed, it was undisputed 

at trial that the offender carried a firearm. The evidence was not closely balanced, and 

defendant has not met the first plain-error prong.

¶ 63 Defendant also argues that the error in the jury instructions is serious enough that it 

satisfies the second prong. See People v. Herron, 215 Ill. 2d 167, 186-87 (2005). Illinois 

courts have narrowed the second prong to errors that are “ ‘structural,’ i.e., ‘a systemic error 

which serves to erode “the integrity of the judicial process and undermine the fairness of the 

defendant’s trial.” ’ ” Watt, 2013 IL App (2d) 120183, ¶ 38 (quoting People v. Glasper, 234 

Ill. 2d 173, 197-98 (2009), quoting Herron, 215 Ill. 2d at 186); see Neder v. United States, 

527 U.S. 1, 8 (1999) (“we have found an error to be ‘structural,’ and thus subject to 

automatic reversal, only in a ‘very limited class of cases’ ”); Thompson, 238 Ill. 2d at 613 

(“In Glasper, this court equated the second prong of plain-error review with structural error 

***.”). Despite the fact that the jury instructions here were based on an earlier version of the 

robbery statute, and thus misstated the law, such an error does not fall within the class of 

structural errors or rise to the level of plain error. Watt, 2013 IL App (2d) 120183, ¶ 39.

Accordingly, defendant has failed to satisfy the second prong of the plain-error doctrine as 

well. Having not met either prong, defendant’s claim must fail.

¶ 64 Apprendi

¶ 65 Defendant next argues that the fact used to enhance his sentence–use of a firearm during 

the armed robbery–was not submitted to the jury, in violation of Apprendi v. New Jersey, 530 

U.S. 466 (2000). Defendant concedes that he failed to preserve this issue for appellate 

review, but urges us to review this issue under the plain-error doctrine. The State contends 

that, even if error occurred, it did not rise to the level of plain error. We find that an Apprendi

violation occurred, but agree with the State that defendant cannot meet either plain-error 

prong.

¶ 66 Before we address defendant’s plain-error arguments we must determine whether an 

Apprendi error occurred. People v. Nitz, 219 Ill. 2d 400, 416 (2006). In Apprendi, the United 

States Supreme Court held that, “[o]ther than the fact of a prior conviction, any fact that 

increases the penalty for a crime beyond the prescribed statutory maximum must be 

submitted to a jury, and proved beyond a reasonable doubt.” Apprendi, 530 U.S. at 490. An 

Apprendi violation may occur where the defendant is given an enhanced sentence based on a 

fact that was not submitted to the jury, or where the jury failed to find that the 

sentence-enhancing factor existed beyond a reasonable doubt. See People v. Jones, 219 Ill. 2d 

1, 35-36 (2006) (“fact that increased [defendant’s] imprisonment, the age of the victim, was 

not alleged in the charging instrument and not submitted to the jury”); People v. Thurow, 203 

Ill. 2d 352, 361 (2003). Apprendi errors present a question of law, and therefore we review 

this issue de novo. People v. Hopkins, 201 Ill. 2d 26, 36 (2002) (citing People v. Fisher, 184 

Ill. 2d 441, 448 (1998)).
- 17 -

¶ 67 Here, defendant’s armed robbery sentence includes a 15-year enhancement based on the 

fact that he “carrie[d] on or about his or her person or [was] otherwise armed with a firearm”

at the time of the offense. 720 ILCS 5/18-2(a)(2) (West 2010); 720 ILCS 5/18-2(b) (West 

2010) (“A violation of subsection [18-2](a)(2) is a Class X felony for which 15 years shall be 

added to the term of imprisonment imposed by the court.”). Defendant argues that his 

extended sentence violates Apprendi, because the fact that he carried a firearm was not 

submitted to the jury. Defendant’s Apprendi argument is based in part on the jury instructions 

we discussed in the previous section. Although defendant was charged with robbery while 

armed with a “firearm,” the definitions instruction erroneously used the phrase “dangerous 

weapon,” and the third clause of the issues instruction stated that the State had to prove 

“[t]hat the defendant carried on or about his person a dangerous weapon or was otherwise 

armed with a firearm at the time of the taking.” (Emphasis added) Defendant asserts that the 

inaccurate definitions instruction and the disjunctive “or” in the issues instruction created 

ambiguity as to whether the jury convicted defendant based on his possession of a firearm or 

some other dangerous weapon. A guilty verdict based on these instructions, so defendant’s 

argument goes, does not indicate that the jury considered and found that defendant was 

armed with a firearm. Defendant thus argues that his extended sentence is predicated on a 

fact that was not properly submitted to the jury.

¶ 68 Relying on People v. Rodriguez, 372 Ill. App. 3d 797, 802-03 (2007), the State contends 

that no Apprendi error occurred. In Rodriguez, the jury convicted the defendant of first 

degree murder, and the trial court imposed an enhanced sentence based on the defendant’s 

use of a firearm. Id. at 798. The defendant challenged his sentence under Apprendi, arguing 

that the jury’s general guilty verdict did not show that it found, beyond a reasonable doubt, 

that he was armed with a firearm when he committed the murder. Id. at 801. The court 

rejected the defendant’s argument, holding that there was no Apprendi violation, because the 

instructions required the State to prove that defendant “performed the acts which caused the 

death of [the victim] while armed with a firearm.” (Emphasis added.) Id. at 802. The 

Rodriguez court read this phrase in the jury instructions as incorporating the 

sentence-enhancing fact as a requirement for finding defendant guilty, necessarily reflecting 

the jury’s finding that defendant was also armed with a firearm during the offense. Id. at 

802-03. See also Hopkins, 201 Ill. 2d at 39 (holding that no Apprendi error occurred where 

the enhancement factor, the victim’s old age, was included “as an element of the offense,”

making it “undisputed that the age of the victim was *** proved [to the jury] beyond a 

reasonable doubt”).

¶ 69 The case at bar is distinguishable from Rodriguez and Hopkins. Apprendi requires that 

any fact other than a prior conviction that increases the penalty for a crime beyond the 

prescribed statutory maximum be (1) submitted to a jury, and (2) proved beyond a reasonable 

doubt. People v. Green, 225 Ill. 2d 612, 621 (2007) (citing Apprendi, 530 U.S. at 490). Here, 

the State proved beyond a reasonable doubt that defendant used a firearm during the offense.

Indeed, this fact was uncontested at trial. However, this fact was not submitted to the jury as 

required under Apprendi. Unlike in Rodriguez and Hopkins, nothing in the jury instructions 

required the jury to find that defendant used a firearm during the armed robbery to sustain his 
- 18 -

conviction. The definitions instruction omitted any reference to a firearm. At best, the issues 

instruction gave the jury the option of basing defendant’s conviction on use of a firearm: 

“That the defendant carried on or about his person a dangerous weapon or was otherwise 

armed with a firearm at the time of the taking.” (Emphasis added.) The disjunctive “or”

allowed the jury to find defendant guilty based on possession of a dangerous weapon rather 

than a firearm. Thus, the fact that defendant carried a firearm during the armed robbery was 

not properly submitted to the jury. We therefore agree with defendant that an Apprendi error 

occurred.

¶ 70 Defendant forfeited this issue, but urges review under the plain-error doctrine. People v. 

Nitz, 219 Ill. 2d 400, 410 (2006) (“when a defendant has failed to object to an [Apprendi] 

error, plain-error analysis applies” (citing Throw, 203 Ill. 2d at 363). Defendant has not met 

either plain-error prong. As we discussed in our plain-error analysis above, the evidence here 

was not closely balanced. The State presented ample evidence that defendant committed the 

instant armed robbery and overwhelming evidence that he did so while armed with a firearm.

As a result, defendant cannot satisfy the first prong. Defendant’s argument also fails under 

the second prong. Our supreme court has held that Apprendi errors do not fall under the 

narrow category of established structural errors. See People v. Crespo, 203 Ill. 2d 335, 347

(2001) (“Apprendi violations are not structural error” (emphasis in original)); Thurow, 203 

Ill. 2d at 365 (same); see also Thompson, 238 Ill. 2d at 613 (“In Glasper, this court equated 

the second prong of plain-error review with structural error ***.”). The Apprendi error here 

was not a clear or obvious error so serious that it affected the fairness of defendant’s trial and 

challenged the integrity of the judicial process. Accordingly, we reject defendant’s argument.

¶ 71 DNA Indexing Fee

¶ 72 Relying on People v. Marshall, 242 Ill. 2d 285 (2011), defendant argues that the trial 

court erroneously imposed a $200 DNA indexing fee, where the Illinois State Police have 

previously collected and catalogued his DNA. To his brief, defendant attaches a document 

from the Illinois State Police confirming that his DNA was obtained on March 14, 2007, for a 

prior offense. The State concedes that error occurred. We agree. Accordingly, under 

Marshall, we vacate the $200 DNA indexing fee assessed by the trial court in the instant 

case.

¶ 73 CONCLUSION

¶ 74 We vacate defendant’s aggravated unlawful restraint conviction, because it was carved 

from the same physical act as his armed robbery conviction. We also vacate the $200 DNA 

indexing fee assessed by the trial court. We otherwise affirm defendant’s conviction and 

sentence.

¶ 75 Affirmed in part and vacated in part.