Court Opinion

ID: 9862115
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-25 01:01:25.725066+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T11:30:12.606990
License: Public Domain

JUSTICE GILLERAN JOHNSON, specially concurring: Although I agree with the result reached by my colleague, I write separately to explain my view that, under the unique facts of this case, the defendant’s conviction of aggravated criminal sexual assault under count IV of the indictment should be vacated. In Crespo, our supreme court held that in order to sustain multiple convictions, the State must inform the defendant that it intends to treat his or her conduct as separate acts. Crespo, 203 Ill. 2d at 344. Although the Crespo court stated that the notice to the defendant should be through the indictments, it did not foreclose notice in some other manner prior to trial. Crespo, 203 Ill. 2d at 343. Furthermore, the Crespo court placed great emphasis on presenting separate acts to the jury. Crespo, 203 Ill. 2d at 344. In this case, the State conceded, both in its appellate brief and during oral argument, that the defendant here was not sufficiently informed that the State was charging him with two separate acts of forcible oral sex. In the State’s view, it was not unreasonable for the defendant to believe that he was being charged with the same crime, based on alternate theories. In making its confession of error, the State admits that it did not properly argue separate acts to the jury and concedes that the trial court did not sufficiently instruct the jury that the charges were based on separate acts. I agree. The defendant here was charged with two counts of forcible oral sex, under counts IV and V of the indictment. However, during its closing argument, the State failed to explain that the defendant’s acts were separate. Instead of arguing that the defendant committed two separate acts of forcible oral sex, the State argued that it was proceeding on “two different theories.” The State further argued that “the defendant committed an act of sexual penetration, both by entering [the victim’s] mouth with his penis, as well as by entering her vagina with his penis.” Finally, the trial court instructed the jury as if the State were proceeding on alternate theories. The trial court explained to the jury that the defendant was charged “in different ways” with the offense of aggravated sexual assault. In conclusion, I believe that the State did not properly represent to the jury that the defendant was being charged with two separate acts of forcible oral sex. Furthermore, the trial court did not sufficiently instruct the jury that the defendant was being charged with separate acts of forcible oral sex. Accordingly, as the lesser count of the two, I agree with my colleague that the defendant’s conviction of aggravated criminal sexual assault based on count IV of the indictment must be vacated.