Court Opinion

ID: 9745944
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-27 13:43:44.006482+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:25:06.603560
License: Public Domain

JUSTICE CALLUM, dissenting: By its plain terms, section 11 — 709(a) requires a motorist to “drive a vehicle as nearly as practicable entirely within one lane.” Smith, 172 Ill. 2d at 297. The majority appears to concede that, although she made only a single, momentary crossing of the fog line, defendant did not drive entirely within one lane. However, the majority determines that, because the road was hilly and curvy and had “poor visibility around the curves,” Brandel could not have reasonably suspected that defendant did not drive “as nearly as practicable” entirely within one lane. 625 ILCS 5/11 — 709(a) (West 2000). I disagree with that conclusion, as the road’s hilliness or curviness did not make it impracticable to drive entirely within one lane. Thus, I respectfully dissent. In my view, the majority disregards the plain language of section 11 — 709(a). See People v. Woodard, 175 Ill. 2d 435, 443 (1997) (a “court is not free to depart from the plain language and meaning of [a] statute”). What is “practicable” is what “may be done, practiced, or accomplished; that which is performable, feasible, [or] possible.” Black’s Law Dictionary 1172 (6th ed. 1990). Thus, the crucial issue is whether defendant crossed the fog line when she possibly could have driven entirely within the lane. If so, then defendant did not drive “as nearly as practicable” entirely within the lane. 625 ILCS 5/11 — 709(a) (West 2000). Had defendant crossed the fog line to avoid an obstruction in the lane, such as a boulder or a deer, I would quickly hold that she drove “as nearly as practicable” entirely within the lane. 625 ILCS 5/11— 709(a) (West 2000). Such is not the case. Instead, defendant crossed the fog line merely because the road was hilly and curvy and had “poor visibility around the curves.” I might concede that those conditions rendered more difficult the task of driving entirely within the lane. However, they clearly did not make the task impossible. Indeed, to drive entirely within the lane, all defendant had to do was drive more carefully. Thus, I would hold that Brandel reasonably suspected that defendant did not drive “as nearly as practicable” entirely within one lane. 625 ILCS 5/11 — 709(a) (West 2000). Accordingly, I would validate the traffic stop, reverse the trial court’s grant of defendant’s motion to suppress, and remand the cause.