Opinion ID: 175688
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Underlying Criminal Case

Text: The recitation of the facts pertaining to Griffin's underlying conviction is taken from the Illinois Supreme Court's opinion in People v. Griffin, 148 Ill.2d 45, 170 Ill.Dec. 250, 592 N.E.2d 930, 931-32 (1992) (Griffin I) , cert. denied, 507 U.S. 924, 113 S.Ct. 1293, 122 L.Ed.2d 684 (1993): On June 21, 1984, the body of Carl Gibson was found near the 73rd Street exit ramp off of the Chicago Skyway. He had been shot four times at close range several hours earlier. At the time, the Chicago Police Department and the State's Attorney's Office of Cook County were involved in an investigation of a major drug operation located on Chicago's south side that targeted Charles Ashley, a drug dealer whose activities yielded an estimated $3 million annually. Gibson was employed in Ashley's drug operation. Darryl Moore, who was also employed by Ashley's drug operation, was arrested in late July 1984 on drug and unlawful use of weapons charges. While in jail, Moore contacted Detective Michael Pochordo who was with the Violent Crimes Division of the Chicago Police Department. Moore claimed to have information about the Gibson murder. Pochordo set up a meeting with Moore and representatives of the State's Attorney's Office. At a meeting on August 7, 1984, Moore advised members of the State's Attorney's Office that Griffin was involved in the Gibson murder. So the State's Attorney's Office requested permission for a consensual overhear device for use in Moore's contact with Griffin. The Circuit Court of Cook County approved an application for the overhear device, and on August 9, 1984, a tape-recording device was assembled at the State's Attorney's Office and used to record a telephone conversation between Moore and Griffin. Moore recognized Griffin's voice because he had known him through their enforcer work and had spoken to him at least 100 times. During this taped conversation, Griffin implicated himself in the Gibson murder. Griffin was arrested and taken into custody. James Allen was also arrested in connection with the murder, and the two were placed in separate interview rooms. Assistant State's Attorney Neil Cohen was introduced to Griffin and read him his Miranda warnings. Griffin asked whether Cohen had talked to Allen and, upon hearing that Allen had given a statement, Griffin waived his Miranda rights and confessed to his participation in Gibson's murder. Griffin's confession revealed the following facts: Ashley approached Griffin and asked him if he would kill Gibson for $2,500. Ashley wanted Gibson eliminated because he suspected that Gibson was secretly passing information to police. The offer was made and accepted in the presence of Allen. Griffin and Allen went to Moore's apartment to obtain a gun. Moore was one of Ashley's enforcers and he and Griffin had worked together in the past. Moore gave Griffin a .38-caliber revolver, and Griffin and Allen left the apartment and took Griffin's family members home. Allen waited in the car while Griffin entered the home. Then Griffin returned to the car accompanied by Gibson. Allen drove, Gibson sat in the passenger seat, and Griffin sat in the back seat. Allen drove onto the Chicago Skyway at 89th Street, proceeding southbound. When he reached a toll plaza, he turned around and proceeded northbound. While driving northbound on the Skyway, Griffin shot Gibson four times in the back of the head with a .38-caliber revolver. Allen then exited the Skyway at 73rd Street and stopped the car on the exit ramp. Griffin pulled Gibson's body out of the car. The next day Griffin gave the murder weapon to Ashley. Griffin and Allen disposed of the rental car used in the murder. Ashley paid Griffin in cash and cocaine. Griffin was indicted along with codefendants Ashley and Allen for conspiracy to commit murder, solicitation to commit murder, and murder. Prior to trial, the court found Griffin fit to stand trial and denied his motion to suppress evidence seized pursuant to a search warrant. In June 1985, all three defendants were tried simultaneouslyGriffin and Allen by separate juries, and Ashley by Judge Earl Strayhorn. The prosecution's chief evidence against Griffin consisted of the taped telephone conversation between Griffin and Moore; an unsigned, court-reported statement of Griffin; Assistant State's Attorney Cohen's testimony about his conversations with Griffin; and Moore's testimony.