Opinion ID: 2252960
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Dugan's Motive to Lie

Text: The plurality believes that Dugan's hearsay statements should be before the jury because they possess sufficient indicia of trustworthiness. (162 Ill.2d at 343, 205 Ill. Dec. at 359, 643 N.E.2d at 650.) However, a damning indication of Dugan's supposed reliability is shown by his own characterization of his motivations in this case. Milton Burns testified that, on November 25, 1985, he was in a holding cell with Brian Dugan. They were discussing the Ackerman murder and Dugan's natural life sentence when Dugan told Burns that you'll be seeing me again. When Burns asked what he meant by that, Dugan replied that he was gonna mess with the State, get back at the State in any way he can. And he didn't have nothing to worry about because he got life and all they can do is run things concurrent with him.    [He said,] [a]nything I can do to mess with the State I'm gonna do it. He said everybody is gonna know Brian Dugan. They're gonna see my pictures in the newspapers. I'm gonna be on the news.    [He said,] when I get to the joint, man, I'm gonna clean death row out, everything. Burns saw Brian Dugan on television in August 1986, in connection with his claims about the Nicarico murder. Burns realized that Dugan had made good on his threat and contacted the authorities. Brian Dugan's brother, Steve Dugan, also shed some light on Brian Dugan's possible motive. Steve Dugan testified that Brian informed him that he had become a celebrity in his prison for his Nicarico statements, and that prisoners now asked for his autograph.