Court Opinion

ID: 9378880
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-03-13 21:03:12.501027+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:16:15.014148
License: Public Domain

NOTICE                    2023 IL App (4th) 210725-U
This Order was filed under
                                                                                      FILED
                                                                                    March 13, 2023
Supreme Court Rule 23 and is        NOS. 4-21-0725, 4-22-0351 cons.
not precedent except in the                                                          Carla Bender
limited circumstances allowed                                                    4th District Appellate
under Rule 23(e)(1).
                                     IN THE APPELLATE COURT                            Court, IL

                                              OF ILLINOIS

                                          FOURTH DISTRICT

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS,                          )      Appeal from the
              Plaintiff-Appellee,                                )      Circuit Court of
              v.                                                 )      Jersey County
   ROGER E. PACE, JR.,                                           )      Nos. 20CF65
              Defendant-Appellant.                               )            20CF130
                                                                 )            20CF246
                                                                 )            20CF248
                                                                 )            20CM63
                                                                 )            20CM166
                                                                 )
                                                                 )      Honorable
                                                                 )      Allison Lorton,
                                                                 )      Judge Presiding.

                   PRESIDING JUSTICE DeARMOND delivered the judgment of the court.
                   Justices Turner and Harris concurred in the judgment.

                                                 ORDER

 ¶1       Held: The appellate court accepted the State’s concession of error and reversed the
                revocation of defendant’s conditional discharge where the record reflects the trial
                court failed to hold a hearing on the merits of the petition to revoke.

 ¶2                Defendant, Roger E. Pace Jr., entered negotiated pleas of guilty to identity theft

 (720 ILCS 5/16-30(a)(1) (West 2020)) in case No. 20-CF-248, docketed under appeal No.

 4-21-0725, unlawful possession of weapons by a felon (720 ILCS 5/24-1.1(a) (West 2020)) in

 case No. 20-CF-65, attempted residential arson (720 ILCS 5/20-1(b) (West 2020); 720 ILCS

 5/8-4 (West 2020)) in case No. 20-CF-130, state benefits fraud (720 ILCS 5/17-6(a) (West

 2020)) in case No. 20-CF-246, and two counts of unlawful violation of an order of protection
(720 ILCS 5/12-3.4(a)(1), (2) (West 2020)) in cases 20-CM-63 and 20-CM-166, docketed under

appeal No. 4-22-0351. He contends the trial court erred by granting the State’s motion to revoke

his conditional discharge in his absence and without counsel and in sentencing him in his

absence.

¶3             In appeal No. 4-21-0725, the State concedes error because the record indicates the

trial court failed to hold a hearing on the merits. We accept the State’s concession and apply the

same reasoning to appeal No. 4-22-0351. Accordingly, we reverse and remand both appeals for

further proceedings.

¶4                                      I. BACKGROUND

¶5             We note from the outset the facts underlying appeal Nos. 4-21-0725 and

4-22-0351 are identical. For clarity’s sake, we will address the consolidated cases herein as if a

single appeal were filed.

¶6             On January 28, 2021, defendant entered negotiated guilty pleas in the six cases at

issue on appeal in exchange for the dismissal of other charges, a four-year term of conditional

discharge in each felony case, and a stayed sentence of four years’ incarceration in each felony

case, to run consecutively. The conditions included a prohibition against defendant entering

Jersey County except for court purposes and a requirement that he advise the clerk’s office at all

times of his place of residence and a valid phone number.

¶7             On February 22, 2021, the State filed a petition to revoke and a motion to lift the

stayed sentence, alleging defendant failed to keep the clerk’s office advised of his place of

residence. On March 9, 2021, defendant failed to appear, but both public defender Scott Schultz

and private counsel, Anthony Dos Santos, appeared, although Dos Santos had not yet been

formally retained as counsel. The record shows defendant had provided an address for a location

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where he did not reside and his phone had been disconnected. The trial court found the State did

not adequately serve defendant with the petition to revoke and the court authorized a warrant for

his arrest.

¶8             On April 13, 2021, defendant appeared, and the trial court appointed the public

defender to represent him. The court admonished defendant it could sentence him in his absence

if he failed to appear. The court gave defendant similar admonitions on May 10 and May 19,

2021. The court set a hearing on the merits of the State’s petition and motion for June 2, 2021.

¶9             On June 2, 2021, defendant requested a continuance to retain Dos Santos as

private counsel. The trial court told defendant, “You understand that if I grant that request and

Mr. Schultz is discharged as your attorney to allow you to seek another attorney, uh, we’re gonna

have another court date and you’re gonna come back.” The court further stated, “If you don’t

have another attorney we’re still going [to] proceed.” The court granted a continuance to June

15, 2021. The court told defendant it would be the only continuance granted for purposes of

hiring private counsel, telling defendant if he did not do so, “you better be prepared to represent

yourself with respect to this matter. You understand?” Defendant stated he understood. The court

again admonished defendant if he failed to appear, the court could grant the State’s requested

relief and sentence defendant in his absence.

¶ 10           On June 10, 2021, the State filed another petition to revoke based on new charges

defendant unlawfully defrauded drug screen tests (720 ILCS 5/17-57(a)(4) (West 2020)) and

violated an order of protection (720 ILCS 5/12-3.4(a)(2) (West 2020)).

¶ 11           On June 16, 2021, the trial court entered an order revoking defendant’s

conditional discharge, which stated the following:

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               “Cause comes before the court on the PTR/Motion to Lift Stay filed by the State.

               On June 2, 2021, Defendant was granted a continuance for the purpose of hiring

               private counsel. Defendant was notified in open court of today’s hearing and in

               writing, further Defendant was advised that if he fails to appear he can be

               sentenced in his absence. Defendant has failed to appear and no attorney has filed

               an entry of appearance on Defendant’s behalf. Court hereby grants the State’s

               Petition to Revoke Defendant’s conditional discharge in his absence. Court orders

               Pre-Sentence Investigation and resets the matter for sentencing on June 30 at 1:00

               pm. The Defendant had requested appointment of the public defender with respect

               to new charges filed in [the new criminal case]. Court hereby appoints Public

               Defender Schultz to represent Defendant in the above listed matters at

               sentencing.”

There is no transcript or substitute for a transcript of that proceeding in the record.

¶ 12           On June 30, 2021, defendant failed to appear, and the trial court held a sentencing

hearing in his absence. In the felony cases, the court sentenced defendant to consecutive

extended four-year terms of incarceration. Defendant subsequently moved to vacate the

judgement and withdraw his plea. Defendant’s motion to vacate provided various explanations

for his failure to appear and stated he did not receive notice of the sentencing date.

¶ 13           On December 13, 2021, the trial court denied defendant’s motion to vacate the

judgement and withdraw his plea. Defendant appealed Jersey County case No. 20-CF-248, which

this court docketed as Appellate Court case No. 21-0725. This court allowed defendant’s late

notice of appeal of the remaining felony cases and docketed those matters as Appellate Court

case No. 4-22-0351. The briefs were filed in appeal No. 4-22-0351 several months after briefing

                                                 -4-
had been completed in appeal No. 4-21-0725. Shortly after briefing was completed in appeal No.

4-22-0351, this court, on our own motion, consolidated the appeals for disposition. This appeal

followed.

¶ 14                                       II. ANALYSIS

¶ 15           On appeal, defendant argues he was denied the right to counsel where the trial

court granted the State’s petition to revoke his conditional discharge at a hearing when he was

absent and not represented by counsel. He further argues the court erred in sentencing him in his

absence. Initially, in appeal No. 4-21-0725, the State conceded error because the record indicated

a hearing was never held on the merits of the petition to revoke, and the State agreed the matter

should be remanded for a revocation hearing. However, several months later, in appeal No.

4-22-0351, the State disputed defendant’s arguments without addressing the reasons for the

previous concession of error.

¶ 16           Under section 5-6-4(b) of the Unified Code of Corrections, when a petition is

filed charging a violation of a condition of conditional discharge, the trial court “shall conduct a

hearing of the alleged violation.” 730 ILCS 5/5-6-4(b) (West 2020). In appeal No. 4-21-0725, the

State notes the lack of a transcript of the June 15, 2021, hearing and concedes nothing in the

record suggests the trial court held a hearing on the merits of the petition to revoke. Instead, the

language of the court’s order shows it essentially entered a default judgment against defendant.

¶ 17           The trial court was required to hold a hearing on the merits and did not do so.

Thus, we agree with the State and accept its concession of error in appeal No. 4-21-0725.

Because the identical set of facts are present in appeal No. 4-22-0351, we apply the same

reasoning to it. We note our review of the record indicates the State’s brief in appeal No.

                                                -5-
4-22-0351 was filed before the cases were consolidated. Thus, we assume the existence of the

State’s previous concession of error was simply overlooked in the subsequent appeal.

¶ 18           Accordingly, in both appeals, we reverse the trial court’s June 16, 2021, order

revoking defendant’s conditional discharge and remand with directions to hold a revocation

hearing addressing the merits of the State’s petition to revoke and motion to lift the stay.

¶ 19           We pause to point out how timely admonishments pursuant to Illinois Supreme

Court Rule 401(a) (eff. July 1, 1984) offered at the time defendant expressed his desire to release

the public defender at the June 2, 2021, hearing could have gone a long way to clear up the

record in this case. Whether it would have given defendant greater pause in his choices we do not

know, but at least the record would reflect the fully informed choice of defendant.

¶ 20                                    III. CONCLUSION

¶ 21           For the reasons stated, the judgment of the trial court is reversed, and the cause is

remanded for further proceedings consistent with this order.

¶ 22           Reversed and remanded.

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