Court Opinion

ID: 9724437
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 10:56:31.595848+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:25:00.383316
License: Public Domain

JUSTICE BILANDIC, also dissenting: I cannot join the majority opinion. This court should order the appellant to brief the issue of whether section 11 — 501.4—1 of the Illinois Vehicle Code (625 ILCS 5/11 — 501.4—1 (West 1996)) is unconstitutional. The appellant here addressed its opening brief to the constitutionality of a different statutory section; namely, section 11 — 501.4 of the Illinois Vehicle Code (625 ILCS 5/11— 501.4 (West 1996)). The appellant’s brief block-quotes section 11 — 501.4 and argues that this court should hold that statute constitutional. The appellee’s brief makes no mention of the error. The appellee’s brief simply argues that section 11— 501.4— 1 is unconstitutional. The appellee may not have noticed the appellant’s error because of the similarity in the numbering of the two separate statutory provisions; however, it is possible that the appellee saw the mistake and chose not to argue waiver. The failure of both parties to call the appellant’s error to the court’s attention in a timely manner indicates that there may have been a mutual mistake. Instead of issuing an opinion without proper briefing, this court should issue an order directing the parties to rebrief this cause.