Illinois Official Reports 

Appellate Court

People v. Gomez, 2018 IL App (1st) 150605

Appellate Court 

Caption

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

EDUARDO GOMEZ, Defendant-Appellant.

District & No. First District, Second Division

Docket No. 1-15-0605

Filed

Rehearing denied

April 3, 2018

May 3, 2018

Decision Under 

Review

Appeal from the Circuit Court of Cook County, No. 14-CR-13389; the 

Hon. Maura Slattery Boyle, Judge, presiding.

Judgment Affirmed in part, vacated in part, and remanded in part.

Counsel on

Appeal

Michael J. Pelletier, Patricia Mysza, and Michael Gomez, of State 

Appellate Defender’s Office, of Chicago, for appellant.

Kimberly M. Foxx, State’s Attorney, of Chicago (Alan J. Spellberg, 

Joseph Alexander, and Brenda K. Gibbs, Assistant State’s Attorneys, 

of counsel), for the People.

Panel JUSTICE PUCINSKI delivered the judgment of the court, with 

opinion.

Justice Mason concurred in the judgment and opinion.

Justice Hyman concurred in part and dissented in part, with opinion.
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 OPINION 

¶ 1 Following a bench trial, defendant Eduardo Gomez was convicted of being an armed 

habitual criminal (AHC) (720 ILCS 5/24-1.7 (a) (West 2014)), of aggravated unlawful use of a 

weapon (AUUW) (720 ILCS 5/24-1.6 (West 2014)), and of unlawful use of a weapon by a 

felon (720 ILCS 5/24-1.1 (West 2014)). He was sentenced to three concurrent terms of seven 

years’ imprisonment and assessed various fines, fees, and costs. On appeal, defendant argues 

that (1) the circuit court erred in denying his pretrial motion to suppress, (2) his aggravated 

unlawful use of a weapon conviction should be vacated, and (3) the fines, fees, and costs 

imposed by the circuit court should be reduced. For the reasons set forth herein, we affirm 

defendant’s convictions for the offenses of armed habitual criminal and unlawful use of a 

weapon by a felon; however, we vacate his aggravated unlawful use of a weapon conviction. In 

addition, we remand the matter to the circuit court with instructions to modify its order 

assessing fines, fees, and costs. 

¶ 2 BACKGROUND 

¶ 3 On July 3, 2014, following an encounter with several Chicago police officers, defendant 

was found to be in possession of a loaded firearm and was charged with multiple offenses, 

including armed habitual criminal, aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, and unlawful use of a 

weapon by a felon. After being taken into police custody, defendant admitted to possessing the 

firearm. 

¶ 4 Prior to trial, defendant filed a motion to quash his arrest and suppress evidence, arguing 

that he was unlawfully detained and searched absent probable cause or a warrant in violation of 

his constitutional rights. As such, he contended that suppression of the firearm and his 

incriminatory statement was warranted. 

¶ 5 The circuit court subsequently presided over a hearing on defendant’s motion. At the 

hearing, defendant’s friend, Frankie Baez, testified that at approximately 10:45 p.m. on July 3, 

2014, he, defendant, and their mutual friend, Enriquez Salvador (Junior), were sitting in a 

parked vehicle located near the intersection of 52nd Street and Kildare Avenue. Baez 

explained that they were waiting for his girlfriend to join them. The vehicle in which they were 

sitting was owned by Junior’s father, who operated a taxi company. Baez described the vehicle 

as a white “taxi car.”1

Junior was seated in the driver’s seat of the vehicle, defendant was 

seated in the backseat directly behind Junior, and Baez was seated in the backseat next to 

defendant. While the three men were seated in the parked vehicle, an unmarked “cop car,” 

containing three plain-clothes officers, pulled up alongside of them. The officers “flashed their 

lights” on the men, drew their weapons, and ordered Baez, Junior, and defendant to raise their 

hands and exit the vehicle. The three men complied. Baez testified that after he and defendant 

exited the vehicle, they placed their hands on opposite sides of the trunk. The officers then 

began searching them. As they were doing so, the officers heard a noise. Baez explained: “As 

they were searching us I guess they had like heard the noise of the firearm I guess fell on the 

floor and that’s when they had right away put the flashlight all over [and] under the car and 

 

1Although Baez describes the vehicle as a taxi car, it is not clear whether or not the vehicle bore any 

signs or markings indicating that it was used as a taxi. As will be shown below, the detective who 

encountered the vehicle simply described it as a white Mercury Grand Marquis. 
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stuff.” The officer who was closest to defendant then bent down and recovered a firearm from 

underneath the car. Baez testified that the officers did not present a search warrant or an arrest 

warrant for defendant at any time during the encounter. 

¶ 6 On cross-examination, Baez acknowledged that defendant was a good friend whom he had 

known for several years. When asked additional details about the night in question, Baez 

admitted that the three men had been driving around the neighborhood in Junior’s father’s car 

for at least 40 minutes before stopping the vehicle on 52nd Street. He estimated that they were 

sitting in the parked vehicle for 10 to 15 minutes before the police officers arrived on the scene. 

Baez also acknowledged that when the officers pulled up alongside of Junior’s father’s car, the 

officers did not immediately exit their unmarked car and order the men to raise their hands in 

the air; rather, the officers remained seated in their vehicle and spoke to Junior while the 

windows of the two vehicles were rolled down and inquired what the three men were doing in 

the neighborhood that night. During the course of this conversation, Baez admitted that 

defendant started “scooting down in his seat,” which was located right behind Junior’s seat. 

Baez further admitted that defendant was hiding a gun in his waistband. In addition, he 

acknowledged that the officers exited their unmarked vehicle only after they observed 

defendant scooting down in his seat. The officers then ordered each of the men to show their 

hands. Although defendant complied with the officers’ request and raised his hands, Baez

admitted that defendant continued scooting down in the backseat until they were all ordered to 

exit the car. As Baez and his friends exited the vehicle, he heard one of the officers reference a 

noise, saying “What was that? What was that? What was that?” The officers then used their 

flashlights to illuminate the ground and recovered defendant’s gun next to where defendant 

was standing. Baez, however, denied that he heard the sound of a gun dropping. 

¶ 7 Following Baez’s testimony, the defense rested, and defense counsel moved for a directed 

finding, which the circuit court denied. The State then called Chicago police detective Anthony 

Amato to testify. Detective Amato testified that on July 3, 2014, he was working with Sergeant 

Karczewski and Officer Daniel Pacelli. The three officers were wearing plain clothes and were 

riding in an unmarked police vehicle. Detective Amato, the driver of the unmarked police car, 

confirmed that at approximately 10:45 p.m. that evening, he and his partners encountered 

defendant, who was a passenger in a white Mercury Grand Marquis parked near the area of 

4242 West 52nd Street. He explained that he had observed the vehicle on two prior occasions 

during a 30 to 40 minute period of time as he and his partners patrolled the area. During the 

previous two occasions that he observed the Grand Marquis, the vehicle was moving. On this 

occasion, however, the vehicle was parked facing westbound on 52nd Street. After observing 

the same vehicle for the third occasion in a short period of time, Detective Amato pulled up 

next to the vehicle and began speaking to the driver of the Grand Marquis through his open car 

window. He explained that he asked the driver “what he was doing, [and] if he lived around 

there.” The driver initially responded that he lived down the street; however, when Detective 

Amato asked him to identify his “exact address,” the driver admitted that he did not live down 

the street, but resided somewhere on the “other side of Pulaski.” 

¶ 8 As he spoke to the driver of the Grand Marquis, Detective Amato was able to observe 

defendant, who was seated directly behind the driver in the rear of the vehicle. When the 

conversation began, defendant was “seated upright” with his torso visible to the officers. As 

the conversation proceeded, however, defendant began “slouching down in the car. *** He just 

kept on like steadily slouching down as [the officers] were talking to the driver. So his head 
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was, you could only see like his head at one point in time.” Detective Amato categorized 

defendant’s behavior as “suspicious.” Based on defendant’s suspicious behavior and the 

driver’s responses to his inquiries, Detective Amato and his partners exited their unmarked 

vehicle and approached the parked Grand Marquis. Detective Amato and Sergeant Karczewski 

walked to the driver’s side of the vehicle while Officer Pacelli relocated to the passenger side 

of the vehicle. As Detective Amato stood by the driver’s side of the Grand Marquis, he 

observed defendant leaning away from him and “toward the middle portion of the seat” with 

his right forearm covering the waistband of his pants. Defendant’s right hand “was actually 

under his shirt.” Detective Amato again found defendant’s behavior to be “suspicious,” and as 

a result, he asked to see defendant’s hands. Initially, defendant only raised his left hand into the 

air and continued positioning his right arm and hand “along his waistband.” He then “started 

showing his right hand,” while still attempting to use his right forearm to shield the waistband 

of his pants. Based on his observations of defendant’s behavior, Detective Amato “believed 

that [defendant] had a weapon on him” and ordered all three occupants of the Grand Marquis to 

exit the vehicle. Defendant and the two other men complied. As defendant was exiting the 

vehicle, he “still had his arm over his waistband.” After he completely extricated himself from 

the car, however, he then immediately “turned around and he bent his entire body over the rear 

of the car.” In response, Sergeant Karczewski “grabbed [defendant] by his arms and stood him 

upright.” When he did so, a handgun dislodged from defendant’s waistband and fell to the 

ground. Detective Amato immediately recovered the gun, which was loaded, and defendant 

was then placed into custody. 

¶ 9 On cross-examination, Detective Amato categorized the area in which the Grand Marquis 

was parked as “residential.” He could not recall whether there were any vehicles parked 

immediately in front of or in back of the Grand Marquis when he pulled up next to the vehicle. 

Detective Amato testified, however, that “we weren’t blocking [the driver] in at that point in 

time. We were just having a conversation with him.” During the conversation, he inquired 

whether the driver lived in the area. When the driver responded that he lived down the street, 

Detective Amato then requested the driver to identify his exact address. It was at that point that 

the driver admitted he did not live on the street and Detective Amato observed defendant begin 

slouching in his seat. Although he intended to ask for the occupants’ identifications when he 

exited his unmarked car, Detective Amato did not recall whether he did so because his focus 

shifted to defendant slouching and leaning in his seat. At that point in time, he ordered all of the 

occupants out of the Grand Marquis “for safety reasons.” Detective Amato conceded that he 

did not actually see a gun on defendant’s person before he ordered defendant and the two other 

occupants of the Grant Marquis to raise their hands and exit the vehicle. He further conceded 

that defendant and the two other occupants of the Grand Marquis were not acting aggressively 

toward the officers before they were ordered out of the vehicle. Although he believed that 

defendant was in possession of a firearm, Detective Amato denied that he and his partners ever 

drew their weapons when defendant, Baez, and Junior exited the vehicle. 

¶ 10 Following Detective Amato’s testimony, the parties delivered closing arguments. After 

hearing the aforementioned testimony and the arguments of the parties, the court denied 

defendant’s motion to suppress. In delivering its ruling, the court found that the encounter 

between police and the occupants of the Grand Marquis began as a “lawful” field interview, 

but that defendant’s conduct “raise[d] things into question.” The court explained: “He’s not in 

the manner in which the other two occupants are. The way his hands were positioned, his arms 
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positioned, everybody is out of the vehicle he’s bending over. He won’t stand up. Finally he 

stood up. It wasn’t a search. As [the officers] assisted him in standing up *** the weapon falls. 

There’s no violation of [the] 4th amendment. *** There was probable cause. It was a proper 

stop. There was not any type of unlawful detention. Motion to suppress is denied.” 

¶ 11 Following the suppression hearing, defendant waived his right to a jury trial, and elected to 

proceed by way of a bench trial. At trial, the parties stipulated to the testimony that Detective 

Amato provided during the earlier hearing on defendant’s motion to suppress. The State then 

called upon him to provide further testimony about the handgun that fell from the waistband of 

defendant’s pants. Specifically, Detective Amato testified that when he recovered the handgun, 

he discovered that it was loaded and contained two live rounds. He further testified that after he 

recovered defendant’s weapon, defendant “spontaneously” explained that he had just 

discovered the gun in a garbage can and asked the officers to “give [him] a break.” At that 

point, defendant was advised of his Miranda rights and subsequently transported to the 8th 

District police station for questioning. After defendant arrived at the police station, Detective 

Amato and Sergeant Karczewski conversed with him. During that conversation, defendant 

admitted that he “was holding the gun for S.D.’s from 59th Street.” Detective Amato 

understood defendant’s reference to “S.D.’s” to mean the street gang known as Satan’s 

Disciples. 

¶ 12 Following Detective Amato’s testimony, the State presented a series of stipulations 

reached by the parties. Specifically, the parties stipulated that defendant had previously been 

convicted of robbery and armed robbery. The parties further stipulated that defendant was on 

parole at the time he was found to be in possession of a firearm on July 3, 2014, and that he had 

not been issued a Firearm Owner’s Identification (FOID) card. After presenting the 

aforementioned stipulations, the State rested its case-in-chief. Defendant moved for a directed 

verdict, but the motion was denied. Defendant elected not to testify and defense counsel rested 

without calling any witnesses. 

¶ 13 After considering the evidence, the circuit court found defendant guilty of armed habitual 

criminal, aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, and unlawful use of a weapon by a felon. 

During the sentencing hearing that followed, the circuit court heard evidence submitted in 

aggravation and mitigation and ultimately sentenced defendant to three concurrent terms of 

seven years’ imprisonment. The court also assessed a number of fines, fees, and costs. 

Defendant’s posttrial motion was denied and this appeal followed. 

¶ 14 ANALYSIS 

¶ 15 I. Motion to Suppress 

¶ 16 Defendant first argues that the circuit court erred in denying his motion to quash his arrest 

and suppress evidence. He argues that he was the victim of an unlawful seizure because police 

officers lacked reasonable suspicion that he was engaged in criminal activity at any time 

during their encounter. Defendant emphasizes that mere possession of a firearm is not a crime 

and contends that the officers had no reason to believe he was in unlawful possession of a 

firearm when they pulled up alongside of the vehicle in which he was seated and ordered him 

to raise his hands into the air and exit the vehicle. 

¶ 17 The State responds that the circuit court “properly denied defendant’s motion to quash 

arrest and suppress evidence because the consensual encounter was elevated to a Terry stop 
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[Terry v. Ohio, 392 U.S. 1 (1968),] based on reasonable suspicion that defendant was engaged 

in criminal activity.”

¶ 18 As a general rule, a circuit court’s ruling on a motion to suppress is subject to a bifurcated 

two-prong standard of review. See Ornelas v. United States, 517 U.S. 690, 699 (1996); People 

v. Johnson, 237 Ill. 2d 81, 88 (2010). Pursuant to this standard, a reviewing court will afford 

great deference to the circuit court’s factual findings and will disregard those findings only 

where they are against the manifest weight of the evidence. Johnson, 237 Ill. 2d at 88; People 

v. Lopez, 2013 IL App (1st) 111819, ¶ 17. The circuit court’s ultimate legal finding as to 

whether suppression is warranted, however, is subject to de novo review. People v. Colyar, 

2013 IL 111835, ¶ 24; People v. Bartelt, 241 Ill. 2d 217, 226 (2011). Accordingly, “[a] court of 

review ‘remains free to engage in its own assessment of the facts in relation to the issues 

presented and may draw its own conclusions when deciding what relief should be granted.’ ” 

People v. Gherna, 203 Ill. 2d 165, 175-76 (2003) (quoting People v. Crane, 195 Ill. 2d 42, 51 

(2001)). When conducting this analysis, a reviewing court may consider the evidence 

presented at trial in addition to the evidence presented during the prior suppression hearing. 

People v. Almond, 2015 IL 113817, ¶ 55. 

¶ 19 The right to be free from unlawful searches and seizures is protected by both the federal 

and state constitutions. U.S. Const., amend. IV; Ill. Const. 1970, art. I, § 6; Bartelt, 241 Ill. 2d 

at 225-26. “The ‘essential purpose’ of the fourth amendment is to impose a standard of 

reasonableness upon the exercise of discretion by law enforcement officers to safeguard the 

privacy and security of individuals against arbitrary invasions.” People v. McDonough, 239 Ill. 

2d 260, 266-67 (2010) (quoting Delaware v. Prouse, 440 U.S. 648, 653-54 (1979)). This 

constitutional guarantee “applies to all seizures of the person, including seizures that involve 

only a brief detention short of traditional arrest.” People v. Thomas, 198 Ill. 2d 103, 108 

(2001). Not every interaction between police officers and private citizens, however, results in a 

seizure within the meaning of the fourth amendment. Almond, 2015 IL 113817, ¶ 56; 

McDonough, 239 Ill. 2d at 268. Courts evaluating the nature and propriety of police-citizen 

encounters have grouped those interactions into three tiers: (1) an arrest or detention of an 

individual supported by probable cause; (2) brief investigative stops, commonly referred to as 

“Terry stops,” supported by a reasonable, articulable suspicion of criminal activity; and (3) 

consensual encounters involving neither coercion nor detention and do not implicate the fourth 

amendment. People v. Luedemann, 222 Ill. 2d 530, 544 (2006); People v. Smith, 2016 IL App 

(3d) 140648, ¶ 28. 

¶ 20 For purposes of fourth amendment analysis, a person is considered seized when a law 

enforcement officer, “ ‘ “by means of physical force or show of authority, has in some way 

restrained the liberty of a citizen.” ’ ” Luedemann, 222 Ill. 2d at 550 (quoting Florida v. 

Bostick, 501 U.S. 429, 434 (1991), quoting Terry, 392 U.S. at 19 n.16). More specifically, the 

relevant inquiry to determine whether an individual seated in a parked vehicle has been seized 

is whether a reasonable person in the defendant’s position would have believed that he was free 

to decline the officer’s requests or otherwise terminate the encounter. Luedemann, 222 Ill. 2d 

at 550-51; Smith, 2016 IL App (3d) 140648, ¶ 29; People v. Bozarth, 2015 IL App (5th) 

130147, ¶ 15. Our supreme court has emphasized that this “test presupposes a reasonable 

innocent person.” (Emphasis in original.) Luedemann, 222 Ill. 2d at 551 (citing Bostick, 501 

U.S. at 438). 
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¶ 21 Relevant factors to consider when determining whether an individual was seized and not 

involved in a consensual encounter include: (1) the threatening presence of multiple officers; 

(2) the display of a weapon by an officer; (3) some physical touching of the individual’s 

person; and (4) the use of language or tone of voice indicating that compliance might be 

compelled. United States v. Mendenhall, 446 U.S. 544, 554 (1980) (opinion of Stewart, J., 

joined by Rehnquist, J.); Luedemann, 222 Ill. 2d at 553. “In the absence of some such 

evidence, otherwise inoffensive contact between a member of the public and the police cannot, 

as a matter of law, amount to a seizure of that person.” People v. Fields, 2014 IL App (1st) 

130209, ¶ 22. In addition to the four aforementioned Mendenhall factors, other factors that 

courts have “found indicative of a seizure of a parked vehicle are ‘boxing the car in, 

approaching it on all sides by many officers, pointing a gun at the suspect and ordering him to 

place his hands on the steering wheel, or use of flashing lights as a show of authority.’ ” 

Luedemann, 222 Ill. 2d at 557 (quoting 4 Wayne R. LaFave, Search and Seizure § 9.4(a), at 

434-35 (4th ed. 2004)). 

¶ 22 It is well-established, however, that a seizure does not occur simply because a law 

enforcement officer approaches and poses questions to an individual as long as that individual 

is willing to listen. Gherna, 203 Ill. 2d at 178 (citing United States v. Drayton, 536 U.S. 194, 

200 (2002)); see also Luedemann, 222 Ill. 2d at 551. Indeed, even where an officer has no basis 

for suspecting an individual, he may nonetheless question that individual, request 

identification, and seek the individual’s consent to search. Bostick, 501 U.S. at 434-35; 

Gherna, 203 Ill. 2d at 179; Smith, 2016 IL App (3d) 140648, ¶ 29. Importantly, “a 

confrontation with a police officer is not a seizure on the basis that the officer’s authority 

produces an inherent pressure to cooperate. Rather, *** an encounter between a police officer 

and a civilian ‘is a seizure only if the officer adds to those inherent pressures by engaging in 

conduct significantly beyond that accepted in social intercourse.’ ” People v. Castigilia, 394 

Ill. App. 3d 355, 358 (2009) (quoting 4 Wayne R. LaFave, Search and Seizure § 9.4(a), at 425 

(4th ed. 2004)). Keeping the aforementioned factors and standards in mind, we address 

defendant’s challenge to the circuit court’s denial of his motion to suppress. 

¶ 23 As a threshold matter, the parties dispute the timing of defendant’s seizure. Defendant 

submits that he was subjected to an immediate seizure when Detective Amato first pulled up in 

his unmarked squad car alongside of Junior’s vehicle, which was parallel parked on 52nd 

Street, and began asking Junior questions. The State, in turn, categorizes the initial encounter 

as consensual and posits that the encounter was only subsequently elevated to a lawful Terry

stop when officers developed reasonable suspicion that criminal activity was afoot based on 

the totality of the circumstances, including “defendant’s suspicious behavior.” 

¶ 24 Our analysis of the relevant factors does not support defendant’s contention that he “was 

seized at the moment the officers pulled up next to the car.” The record reveals that after 

Detective Amato observed Junior’s vehicle in a residential neighborhood on three occasions in 

a 30-40 minute period of time, he pulled his unmarked squad car alongside of the parked 

vehicle. Although defendant contends that Detective Amato “blocked Junior’s car into his 

parallel parking spot,” the record does not contain any evidence as to how close Detective 

Amato’s squad car was to Junior’s car or whether there were other vehicles parked directly in 

front or in back of Junior’s vehicle. Detective Amato, however, testified that Junior’s car was 

not blocked in, and the circuit court expressly found that there was “no indication that they 

c[ould not] leave” the scene based on the positioning of the vehicles. Although defendant is 
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correct that a police encounter with a citizen in a parked car may be classified as a seizure 

where a police officer positions his car in a manner that “blocks” the parked car (see 

Luedemann, 222 Ill. 2d at 559), the record in this case simply establishes that the vehicles were 

positioned parallel to each other, not that the Grand Marquis was definitively blocked. Given 

the lack of evidence that the car in which defendant was sitting was boxed in, we cannot agree 

that defendant was seized from the moment that the officers arrived at the scene. We also reject 

defendant’s argument that the conversation that ensued between Detective Amato and Junior 

after the officers pulled alongside of the parked vehicle was indicative of a seizure. The record 

establishes that after Detective Amato stopped his vehicle alongside Junior’s car, he conversed 

briefly with Junior while the windows of both vehicles were lowered. Although Detective 

Amato was accompanied by two other officers at the time, none of the officers brandished 

weapons or physically touched defendant or any of the other occupants of the vehicles while he 

spoke to Junior. Moreover, there is no evidence that the tone and tenor of Detective Amato’s 

voice when he posed several questions to Junior was forceful or coercive. Although defendant 

characterizes Detective Amato’s questioning as “relentless” and “persistent,” the record does 

not support that characterization. Rather, it appears that Detective Amato simply posed two 

general inquiries to Junior, asking him “what he was doing, [and] if he lived around there.” 

After hearing Junior’s responses, Detective Amato testified that he then posed one follow-up 

question, and requested Junior to identify his “exact address.” We reiterate that a seizure does 

not occur simply because a law enforcement officer approaches and poses questions to an 

individual as long as that individual is willing to listen and the officers do not convey by their 

words or actions that compliance with their requests is required. Luedemann, 222 Ill. 2d at 551; 

Gherna, 203 Ill. 2d at 178-79. Accordingly, we find that defendant was not subject to an 

immediate seizure when Detective Amato stopped his squad car alongside of the parked Grand 

Marquis and asked Junior several questions, which he was willing to answer. Luedemann, 222 

Ill. 2d at 552 (“[T]he mere approaching and questioning of a person seated in a parked vehicle 

does not constitute a seizure ***.”); Gherna, 203 Ill. 2d at 179 (“[A]n individual is not seized 

for fourth amendment purposes when police ask questions of that individual, including a 

request for identification, so long as the officers do not convey by their words or actions to the 

person being questioned that compliance with their requests is required.”). This does not end 

our inquiry, however, given that “a consensual encounter will lose its consensual nature if law 

enforcement officers convey a message, by means of physical force or show of authority, that 

induces the individual to cooperate.” Gherna, 203 Ill. 2d at 179. 

¶ 25 Indeed, defendant argues that even if the encounter did not constitute a seizure at the outset, 

it evolved into a seizure when Detective Amato and his partners exited their unmarked squad 

car and approached Junior’s vehicle while illuminating their flashlights. The State concedes 

that defendant was ultimately seized,2 but argues that the officers’ conduct was lawful because 

the totality of the circumstances provided them with reasonable suspicion that criminal activity 

was afoot, and thus their actions were lawful pursuant to the United States Supreme Court’s 

landmark decision in Terry, 392 U.S. 1. 

¶ 26 At the hearing on defendant’s motion to suppress, Detective Amato testified that the 

decision to exit the unmarked police car and approach the parked Grand Marquis was made 

 

2Although the State acknowledges that defendant was seized, the State’s brief is not entirely clear 

about the exact timing of the seizure. 
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after Junior acknowledged providing inaccurate information in response to his questions 

concerning Junior’s address, and after observing defendant’s body language while this 

conversation occurred. He explained that during the course of his short conversation with 

Junior, defendant, who was sitting directly behind Junior, began to slouch further and further 

down in his seat until only his head was visible. After making these observations, Detective 

Amato and his partners exited their vehicle and approached the parked Grand Marquis with the 

intention of requesting the occupants’ identification cards. Specifically, Detective Amato and 

Sergeant Karczewski walked over to the driver’s side of the vehicle while Officer Pacelli 

relocated to the passenger side of the vehicle. Although the officers approached with 

flashlights, the use of a flashlight is not per se coercive, especially where, as here, the 

police-citizen encounter took place at night and the flashlights were simply used to illuminate 

the scene. See Luedemann, 222 Ill. 2d at 561-65 (rejecting the defendant’s argument that the 

officer’s use of a flashlight when he approached the parked vehicle was coercive and 

constituted a seizure where the officer’s use of a flashlight was simply “because it was 

nighttime”). Accordingly, we do not find that the officers’ use of flashlights as they 

approached the Grand Marquis transformed the consensual encounter into a seizure. 

¶ 27 Immediately after the officers approached the car, however, defendant began leaning way 

from the officers toward the center of the car and used his forearm to shield his waist from 

view. At that point, the officers ordered all of the occupants of the Grand Marquis to put their 

“hands up.” When defendant did so in a manner that allowed him to continue to conceal his 

waistband, the occupants were then ordered to exit the vehicle. We find that the positioning of 

the officers around the vehicle, coupled with orders for the vehicle’s occupants to put their 

hands up and to exit the vehicle, constituted a show of force and authority, which transformed 

the consensual encounter to a seizure. See, e.g., Gherna, 203 Ill. 2d at 179-80 (finding that 

occupants of a parked vehicle were seized when two bike officers positioned themselves on 

either side of a parked car, thereby restraining the movement of the car’s occupants and 

preventing them from either exiting the vehicle or driving away from the scene, and began 

putting questions to the occupants); In re Rafeal E., 2014 IL App (1st) 133027, ¶ 21 (finding 

that the officer’s order to the respondent to “ ‘put his hands up’ ” constituted “a show of 

authority” indicative of a seizure); Luedemann, 222 Ill. 2d at 557 (recognizing that “ ‘the mere 

approach and questioning of [persons seated within parked vehicles] does not constitute a 

seizure. *** [However,] the encounter becomes a seizure if the officer orders the suspect to 

“freeze” or to get out of the car.’ ” (Emphasis added.) (quoting 4 Wayne R. LaFave, Searches 

& Seizures § 9.4(a), at 433 (4th ed. 2004))). 

¶ 28 This does not end our inquiry, however, as we must next determine whether the seizure was 

reasonable. Gherna, 203 Ill. 2d at 181 (“[O]nly those seizures which are ‘unreasonable’ violate 

the fourth amendment.”). In doing so, we necessarily address the State’s argument that the 

seizure was reasonable under the standards set forth in Terry, 392 U.S. 1. In its Terry decision, 

the Supreme Court created a limited exception to the requirement that a seizure be supported 

by probable cause and held that a police officer “may conduct a brief, investigatory stop of a 

citizen [unsupported by probable cause] when the officer has a reasonable, articulable 

suspicion of criminal activity and such suspicion amounts to more than a mere ‘hunch.’ ” 

McDonough, 239 Ill. 2d at 268 (citing Terry, 392 U.S. at 27). In articulating the reasonable 

suspicion standard, the court struck a balance between the need of law enforcement officials to 

exercise some flexibility when investigating potential criminal activity and the right of citizens 
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to be protected against unreasonable police interference in contravention of their fourth 

amendment rights. Colyar, 2013 IL 111835, ¶ 33 (citing Terry, 392 U.S. at 10-12). Pursuant to 

the reasonable suspicion standard, “[t]o justify a Terry stop, an officer ‘must be able to point to 

specific and articulable facts which, taken together with rational inferences from those facts, 

reasonably warrant [the] intrusion.’ ” People v. Magallanes, 409 Ill. App. 3d 720, 725 (2011) 

(quoting Terry, 392 U.S. at 21). Whether an investigatory stop is reasonable is judged by an 

objective standard, and only the facts known to the officer at the time of the stop may be 

considered. People v. Linley, 388 Ill. App. 3d 747, 749 (2009); see also People v. Sparks, 315

Ill. App. 3d 786, 792 (2000) (“The fourth amendment requires some minimal level of objective 

justification for making the stop.”). As a general rule, “[a] trained police officer is given a great 

deal of latitude in assessing the ‘whole picture’ based upon the totality of the circumstances, 

including considerations of modes or patterns of operation of certain kinds of lawbreakers and 

various practical, objective considerations in determining whether there is reasonable 

suspicion that a crime has been committed.” People v. Mata, 178 Ill. App. 3d 155, 160-61 

(1988) (citing United States v. Cortez, 449 U.S. 411, 419 (1981)). 

¶ 29 Here, we find that based on the totality of the circumstances, Detective Amato and his 

partners had reasonable suspicion to suspect that criminal activity was afoot at the time they 

initiated the seizure. At the time the seizure was initiated—when the officers surrounded the 

Grand Marquis and began issuing orders to the occupants—the officers had made several 

observations.3 Detective Amato explained that he had initially pulled alongside of the vehicle 

after he had noticed it in the neighborhood he was patrolling on three occasions during a short 

30-40 minute period. The vehicle had been mobile on the first two viewings, but was parked 

when he saw it for the third time. Upon encountering the vehicle for the third time, Detective 

Amato pulled up alongside of it and issued several questions to the driver, who was responsive 

to his questions. Although responsive, the driver admitted that he lied when he stated that he 

lived “down the street.” During the course of this brief encounter, Detective Amato observed 

defendant slouch further and further down in his seat until only his head was visible. At that 

point, the officers exited their unmarked car and approached the Grand Marquis. Upon his 

approach to the driver’s side of the car, defendant immediately leaned toward the center of the 

vehicle with his right hand inside his shirt and his right forearm covering his waist. Based on 

his years of experience as a police officer, Detective Amato found defendant’s continued 

furtive movements to be suspicious and became concerned with officer safety. Although 

defendant correctly observes that his “actions did not lead to the inevitable conclusion that he 

had committed or was committing a crime,” the Terry standard does not require an inevitable 

conclusion or absolute certainty; rather, it simply requires a reasonable suspicion that criminal 

activity is afoot. Terry, 392 U.S. at 27; McDonough, 239 Ill. 2d at 268. In an effort to dispel his 

suspicions that criminal activity was afoot and in order to ensure officer safety, Detective 

Amato ordered defendant and the other occupants of the Grand Marquis to raise their hands 

into the air. When defendant did so in a manner that allowed him to continue concealing his 

waist, Detective Amato’s suspicion that defendant was armed was strengthened, and he 

 

3

The record rebuts defendant’s argument that he was seized “solely because [the officers] 

suspected he possessed a firearm.” As such, we need not consider his argument concerning the 

propriety of a hypothetical Terry stop predicated solely on an officer’s suspicion that a defendant was in 

possession of a firearm. 
- 11 - 

subsequently ordered defendant and the other occupants out of the Grand Marquis. The gun 

then fell to the ground when defendant exited the vehicle.4 

¶ 30 Defendant emphasizes throughout his brief that mere possession of a firearm is not a crime 

and that the officers lacked reasonable suspicion that his possession of the firearm was 

unlawful until after the seizure occurred. Although it is true that simple possession of a firearm 

is not itself a crime, the fact that the officers were not aware of defendant’s status as a 

convicted felon and parolee or his lack of a FOID card, which ultimately formed the basis for 

the specific criminal weapons charges filed against him in this matter, is not dispositive 

because defendant’s furtive behavior and repeated efforts to conceal the weapon provided the 

officers with reasonable suspicion that defendant was not in lawful possession of the firearm. 

See Mata, 178 Ill. App. 3d at 160 (“To accept defendant’s argument that the initial detention 

was invalid because the officer did not yet know the specific crime that had been committed 

would be directly contrary to the goals of Terry to encourage crime prevention and detection 

where there is reasonable suspicion that a crime has been committed.”); see also Colyar, 2013 

IL 111835, ¶ 49 (rejecting a defendant’s argument that police officers are required to 

completely eliminate any legal explanation for a defendant’s suspected possession of a firearm 

and establish that the defendant was committing a weapons offense before investigating 

further during a Terry stop). Any other result leaves police officers totally at the mercy of the 

citizens they encounter on a daily basis whose behavior raises concerns that they are armed. 

¶ 31 Accordingly, we find that the circuit court did not err in denying defendant’s motion to 

suppress. 

¶ 32 II. Aggravated Unlawful Use of a Weapon Conviction 

¶ 33 Defendant next argues that his AUUW conviction must be vacated in light of our supreme 

court’s decisions in People v. Aguilar, 2013 IL 112116, and People v. Burns, 2015 IL 117387, 

finding provisions of the state’s prior AUUW statute unconstitutional.

¶ 34 The State agrees that defendant’s AUUW conviction should be vacated but adopts a 

different rationale to support this result. Specifically, the State submits that defendant’s 

convictions for AUUW and AHC are based on the same physical act—his possession of a 

loaded firearm—and thus violate the one-act, one-crime rule. Given that AUUW is the less 

serious offense, the State agrees that defendant’s AUUW conviction should be vacated. 

¶ 35 Because reviewing courts are duty-bound to avoid the adjudication of constitutional 

questions if an issue can be resolved on nonconstitutional grounds, we first address the State’s 

one-act, one-crime argument. See In re E.H., 224 Ill. 2d 172, 178 (2006) (“cases should be 

decided on nonconstitutional grounds whenever possible, reaching constitutional issues only 

as a last resort”). Pursuant to the one-act, one-crime rule, a defendant may not be convicted of 

more than one offense arising out of the same criminal act. People v. King, 66 Ill. 2d 551, 

559-66 (1977); see also Almond, 2015 IL 113817, ¶ 47. For purposes of the one-act, one-crime 

rule, an “act” is “any overt or outward manifestation which will support a different offense.” 

King, 66 Ill. 2d at 566. 

 

4Defendant concedes that there was no search; rather, “the officers did not get to search [him] *** 

because the gun fell out of his pants as soon as one officer stood him up.” 
- 12 - 

¶ 36 The AHC and AUUW statutes both criminalize a defendant’s unlawful the possession of 

firearm. See, e.g., 720 ILCS 5/24-1.7(a)(1) (West 2014) (“A person commits the offense of 

being an armed habitual criminal if he or she receives, sells, possesses, or transfers any firearm 

after having been convicted a total of 2 or more times of *** a forcible felony [such as robbery 

and armed robbery.]” (Emphasis added.)); 720 ILCS 5/24-1.6(a)(1), (a)(3)(A) (West 2014) 

(“A person commits the offense of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon when he or she 

knowingly: (1) Carries on or about his or her person or in any vehicle or concealed on or about 

his or her person except when on his or her land or in his or her abode, legal dwelling, or fixed 

place of business, or on the land or in the legal dwelling of another person as an invitee with 

that person’s permission, any pistol, revolver, stun gun or taser or other firearm *** and *** 

the firearm, other than a pistol, revolver, or handgun, possessed was uncased, loaded, and 

immediately accessible at the time of the offense[.]” (Emphasis added.)). Here, defendant’s 

convictions for AHC and AUUW are both premised on his possession of a single loaded 

firearm, and as such violate the one-act, one-crime rule.5 See, e.g., People v. West, 2017 IL 

App (1st) 143632, ¶ 25 (finding that the defendant’s AUUW and AHC convictions violated the 

one-act, one-crime rule because both convictions were based on the defendant’s possession of 

a single loaded handgun). Where, as here, a one-act, one-crime violation is found, the proper 

remedy is to vacate the less serious offense. In re Samantha V., 234 Ill. 2d 359, 379 (2009). 

AHC is a Class X felony (720 ILCS 5/24-1.7(b) (West 2014)), whereas defendant’s AUUW 

conviction is a Class 2 felony (720 ILCS 5/24-1.6(d)(3) (West 2014)). Because defendant’s 

AUUW conviction is the less serious offense, we vacate that conviction. See West, 2017 IL 

App (1st) 143632, ¶ 25. In light of this ruling, we need not consider defendant’s constitutional 

challenge to the Illinois AUUW statute. See In re E.H., 224 Ill. 2d at 178. 

¶ 37 III. Monetary Assessments 

¶ 38 Defendant next challenges the circuit court’s order imposing various fines, fees, and costs. 

He first argues, and the State agrees, that he was improperly assessed a $5 electronic citation 

fee (705 ILCS 105/27.3e (West 2014)), a $5 court system fee (55 ILCS 5/5-1101(a) (West 

2014)), and a $100 streetgang fine (730 ILCS 5/5-9-1.19 (West 2014)). We will address the 

propriety of each of the monetary assessments in turn. 

¶ 39 As a threshold matter, we note that defendant failed to challenge the propriety of his 

assessments in the circuit court. Generally, a defendant’s failure to challenge a sentencing 

issue in the circuit court through a contemporaneous objection and a postsentencing motion 

results in forfeiture of the claim on appeal. People v. Brown, 2017 IL App (1st) 142877, ¶ 70; 

People v. Reed, 2016 IL App (1st) 140498, ¶ 13. The rules of forfeiture, however, are likewise 

applicable to the State. Brown, 2017 IL App (1st) 142877, ¶ 70; Reed, 2016 IL App (1st) 

140498, ¶ 13. Given that the State has not raised any argument that defendant has forfeited his 

 

5Defendant correctly observes that his unlawful use of a weapon by a felon (UUW) conviction was 

based on his possession of firearm ammunition, a separate act, and thus his convictions for AHC and 

UUW do not run afoul of the one-act, one-crime rule. See Almond, 2015 IL 113817, ¶ 48 (finding that 

the defendant’s AHC and UUW convictions did not violate the one-act, one-crime rule because his 

AHC conviction was premised on his possession of a firearm whereas his UUW conviction was based 

on his possession of a firearm ammunition, explaining: “[T]he act of possession of a firearm is 

materially different from the act of possession of firearm ammunition, even if both items are possessed 

simultaneously.”). 
- 13 - 

challenges concerning the propriety of his monetary assessments, we will address the merit of 

his claims. Brown, 2017 IL App (1st) 142877, ¶ 70. The propriety of a fines and fees order is 

subject to de novo review. People v. Bowen, 2015 IL App (1st) 132046, ¶ 60; People v. Price, 

375 Ill. App. 3d 684, 697 (2007). 

¶ 40 Defendant first argues that the circuit court erred in assessing a $5 electronic citation fee 

pursuant to section 27.3e of the Clerks of Courts Act (705 ILCS 105/27.3e (West 2014)) 

because he was not convicted of the specific offenses delineated in the statute. The State agrees 

that this fee was assessed in error and should be vacated. Section 27.3e of the Clerks of Courts 

Act provides for the payment of a $5 electronic citation fee by defendants “in any traffic, 

misdemeanor, municipal ordinance, or conservation case.” 705 ILCS 105/27.3e (West 2014). 

Defendant was not found guilty of any of the specific type of qualifying offenses enumerated 

in section 27.3e of the Clerks of Courts Act. Accordingly, we direct the circuit court to vacate 

the $5 electronic citation fee. 

¶ 41 We also find that the $5 court system fee was similarly improperly assessed. Like the 

aforementioned electronic citation fee (705 ILCS 105/27.3e (West 2014)), the court system fee 

may only be imposed under certain circumstances. Specifically, section 5-1101(a) of the 

Counties Code authorizes the fee when a defendant is convicted of violating the Illinois 

Vehicle Code or other similar municipal ordinance (55 ILCS 5/5-1101(a) (West 2014)). 

Because defendant was convicted of a criminal offense in contravention of the Criminal Code 

of 2012, the fee is inapplicable and we order it to be vacated. See, e.g., People v. Akins, 2014 IL 

App (1st) 093418-B, ¶ 22 (vacating the $5 court system fee where the defendant was convicted 

of AUUW, a violation of the Criminal Code, and not a violation of the Illinois Vehicle Code or 

other similar municipal ordinance). 

¶ 42 We also agree with the parties that the $100 streetgang fine was improperly levied against 

defendant. That fine, set forth in section 5-9-1.19 of the Unified Code of Corrections, provides: 

“In addition to any other penalty imposed, a fine of $100 shall be imposed upon a 

person convicted of any violation of the Criminal Code of 1961 or the Criminal Code of 

2012 who was, at the time of the commission of the violation a streetgang member, as 

defined in Section 10 of the Illinois Streetgang Terrorism Omnibus Prevention Act.” 

730 ILCS 5/5-9-1.19 (West 2014). 

Because the record contains no evidence that defendant was a streetgang member at the time of 

the offense, the imposition of the $100 streetgang fine was improper. See, e.g., People v. Smith, 

2015 IL App (1st) 132176, ¶ 34 (finding that the fine was improperly assessed where there was 

no evidence that the defendant was a member of a gang at the time he committed the offense). 

We thus order the circuit court to vacate this fine. 

¶ 43 Defendant next argues that he is entitled to offset the fines imposed against him with his 

statutorily granted presentence incarceration credit. 

¶ 44 Section 110-14(a) of the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963 provides: 

“Any person incarcerated on a bailable offense who does not supply bail and 

against whom a fine is levied on conviction of such offense shall be allowed a credit of 

$5 for each day so incarcerated upon application of the defendant. However, in no case 
- 14 - 

shall the amount so allowed or credited exceed the amount of the fine.” (Emphases 

added.) 725 ILCS 5/110-14(a) (West 2014).6 

Pursuant to the plain language of the statute, however, a defendant’s presentence incarceration

credit may only be applied to fines, not fees. 725 ILCS 5/110-14(a) (West 2014); People v. 

Johnson, 2011 IL 111817, ¶ 8. A charge is considered a “fee” where it assessed in order to 

“ ‘recoup expenses incurred by the state,’ or to compensate the state for some expenditure

incurred in prosecuting the defendant.” People v. Graves, 235 Ill. 2d 244, 250 (2009) (quoting 

People v. Jones, 223 Ill. 2d 569, 582 (2006)). A “fine,” in contrast, is “ ‘ “punitive in nature” ’

and is ‘ “a pecuniary punishment imposed as part of a sentence on a person convicted of a

criminal offense.” ’ ” Graves, 235 Ill. 2d at 250 (quoting Jones, 223 Ill. 2d at 581). The label 

utilized by the legislature to describe the charge is not dispositive (Jones, 223 Ill. 2d at 583; 

Brown, 2017 IL App (1st) 142877, ¶ 73); rather, to determine the true nature of the charge, the 

“most important factor” to consider is “whether the charge seeks to compensate the state for 

any costs incurred as a result of prosecuting the defendant” (Graves, 235 Ill. 2d at 250). 

¶ 45 In this case, defendant argues and the State agrees that the $10 mental health court 

assessment (55 ILCS 5/5-1101(d-5) (West 2014)), the $5 youth diversion/peer court 

assessment (55 ILCS 5/5-1101(e) (West 2014)), the $5 drug court assessment (55 ILCS 

5/5-1101(f) (West 2014)), the $30 Children’s Advocacy Center assessment (55 ILCS 

5/5-1101(f-5) (West 2014)), the $15 State and Conservation Police operations (State Police 

Operations) assessment (705 ILCS 105/27.3a (West 2014)), and the $50 court system 

assessment (55 ILCS 5/5-1101(c) (West 2014)) are all fines subject to offset with presentence 

incarceration credit because they are all punitive in nature and not designed to compensate the 

State for expenses incurred in defendant’s prosecution. We agree with the parties. Reviewing 

courts have construed the aforementioned assessments as fines rather than fees, which are 

subject to offset with presentence incarceration credit. See, e.g., Price, 375 Ill. App. 3d at 701 

(concluding that the mental health court and youth diversion/peer court assessments were fines 

rather than fees); People v. Unander, 404 Ill. App. 3d 884, 891 (2010) (holding that the $5 drug 

court assessment was a fine subject to offset with presentence incarceration credit); People v. 

Jones, 397 Ill. App. 3d 651, 660 (2009) (concluding that the $30 Children’s Advocacy Center 

charge was a fine, not a fee); People v. Maxey, 2016 IL App (1st) 130698, ¶¶ 140-41 (finding 

that the $15 State Police Operations assessment was a fine subject to offset), vacated by No. 

121137 (Ill. Nov. 22, 2017) (supervisory order); Reed, 2016 IL App (1st) 140498, ¶ 15 

(construing the $50 court system assessment as a fine subject to offset). 

¶ 46 In conclusion, we find that defendant was erroneously assessed the aforementioned $5 

electronic citation fee, the $5 court system fee, and the $100 streetgang fine. We further find 

that the $10 mental health court assessment, the $5 youth diversion/peer court assessment, the 

$5 drug court assessment, the $30 Children’s Advocacy Center assessment, the $15 State 

Police Operations assessment, and the $50 court system assessment may be offset by 

defendant’s available presentence incarceration credit. We remand to the circuit court with 

 

6Defendant was arrested on July 3, 2014, and sentenced on January 28, 2015. He was thus 

incarcerated on a bailable offense for 209 days prior to being sentenced. We note that defendant 

correctly identifies the number of days in which was in custody prior to sentencing. The State’s brief, 

however, erroneously states that defendant “was incarcerated on a bailable offense for 608 days before 

sentencing.” 
- 15 - 

instructions to modify the fines, fees, and costs order in accordance with this disposition. 

¶ 47 CONCLUSION 

¶ 48 For the reasons explained above, we affirm defendant’s armed habitual criminal and 

unlawful use of a weapon by a felon convictions; however, we vacate his aggravated unlawful 

use of a weapon conviction. We remand the matter to the circuit court for the limited purpose 

of modifying the fines, fees, and costs order. 

¶ 49 Affirmed in part, vacated in part, and remanded in part.

¶ 50 JUSTICE HYMAN, concurring in part and dissenting in part: 

¶ 51 I agree with my colleagues that Gomez’s AUUW conviction should be vacated under the 

one-act, one-crime doctrine, and the fines and fees remanded for modification. But I disagree 

with the majority’s conclusion that Gomez and his friends were not seized until the police 

ordered them out of the car. That seizure actually occurred when the police got out of their own 

unmarked car and approached Junior’s car, despite the absence of specific, articulable facts 

that could give rise to reasonable suspicion of criminal activity. 

¶ 52 The majority uses the correct standard as to whether a seizure has occurred: would a 

reasonable person have believed that he or she was free to leave or otherwise terminate the 

encounter? People v. Luedemann, 222 Ill. 2d 530, 551 (2006) (citing Florida v. Bostick, 501 

U.S. 429, 438 (1991)). 

¶ 53 The United States Supreme Court compiled a list of several factors that might indicate a 

seizure (though this is not an exhaustive list): (i) the threatening presence of several officers, 

(ii) a display of weapons, (iii) physical touching, or (iv) use of language or voice indicating that 

compliance is required. United States v. Mendenhall, 446 U.S. 544, 554 (1980) (opinion of 

Stewart, J., joined by Rehnquist, J.). These factors were adopted by Illinois Supreme Court in 

People v. Murray, 137 Ill. 2d 382, 390 (1990). Several times, our supreme court has applied 

these factors in the context of police officers communicating with individuals who are inside a 

parked car. In People v. Gherna, the court held that two police officers on bicycles, one by the 

driver’s door and one by the passenger’s door, had “seized” the car by their positioning and 

their questioning about possible underage drinking. 203 Ill. 2d 165, 179-81 (2003). But in 

People v. Cosby, the court came to a different conclusion, holding that two officers, one on 

each side of the vehicle, did not seize it. 231 Ill. 2d 262, 278 (2008). 

¶ 54 Cosby rather weakly distinguished Gherna because there was no additional evidence, other 

than the officers’ positions, that the officers were attempting to “box in” the vehicle. Cosby,

231 Ill. 2d at 279-80. The weakness of this distinction is emphasized by the police officers’ 

mode of transport: in Cosby, the two officers approached on foot, while the Gherna officers 

were riding bicycles. There is no logical argument that two bicycles are a better method of 

“boxing in” a vehicle than two officers on foot.

¶ 55 The majority states that the record “does not contain any evidence” as to whether any other 

vehicles were parked behind or in front of Junior’s car. This is incorrect. Baez testified that 

Junior had parallel-parked his car, so when Detective Amato parked his car alongside Junior’s, 

Junior could not drive away. While Detective Amato testified that he did not block Junior’s 

car, he did not remember whether other cars were parked immediately in front of or behind 
- 16 - 

Junior’s car. The trial court did not make any specific finding on this point, but merely stated 

that “the officer approached the vehicle in their vehicle parallel” (which is not in dispute) and 

“there’s no indication that they can’t leave” (which does not address the discrepancy between 

Baez’s testimony and Amato’s failure to recollect this detail). But we are to defer to factual 

findings, though this isn’t much of a finding.

¶ 56 Even if we defer to the trial court’s finding that Junior’s car was not boxed in, that car was 

seized earlier than the majority concludes. Three officers approached Junior’s car, on foot. 

Amato and Karczewski went to the driver’s side, and Pacelli went to the passenger’s side. This 

is a more effective “boxing in” than occurred in either Gherna or Cosby. The majority rejects 

the notion that using flashlights transformed the encounter into a seizure, but the flashlights 

were not necessary to make that transformation. The presence of three officers asking 

questions was sufficient enough that a “reasonable person” would not have felt free to drive 

away or terminate the encounter, particularly if moving the car even a few feet might have 

struck one of the officers. (And given recent unfortunate encounters between motorists and 

approaching police officers, even an unreasonable motorist might think that he or she does not 

have the freedom to end even a consensual encounter with police.) 

¶ 57 The next question is whether Detective Amato had reasonable suspicion, at this point, to 

justify conducting the Terry stop. He testified that at the time he decided to get out of the car, 

his suspicion was based on three facts: (i) he had seen the vehicle driving around the 

neighborhood on two occasions earlier that evening; (ii) the driver (Junior) initially said that he 

lived “down the street” but then backtracked and said he lived on the other side of Pulaski; and 

(iii) he saw Gomez slouching down in the back seat. 

¶ 58 The first of these is an utterly ludicrous basis for reasonable suspicion. Merely driving 

around a neighborhood over the course of an evening does not indicate or suggest criminal 

activity. If this was so, every car used by a neighborhood resident to run a couple of errands 

could be viewed by police as a predictor of criminal activity. 

¶ 59 The second basis, although not ludicrous, also is insufficient in itself to suspect criminal 

activity. If this was in fact a “consensual encounter” (as the majority states that it was, at this 

point), then lying about, or being insufficiently clear about, one’s address is not a crime. It 

could indicate criminal activity, but just as likely, it could indicate that a person had recently 

moved, was staying with friends, or was homeless. The same applies to the third point, 

Gomez’s “slouching.” One’s posture is not an indication of criminal activity; nor, for that 

matter, is visible discomfort with police contact. Even if this police encounter was initially 

“consensual,” no one in this situation thought that Amato had pulled up alongside Junior to 

have a friendly chat about the weather. 

¶ 60 I believe the conclusion that the totality of the facts justifies the stop places undue 

confidence on Amato’s foresight and relies on after-the-fact knowledge of the outcome, 

wrongly allowing hindsight to determine the lawfulness of the stop. I would hold that the 

motion to suppress should have been granted.