Court Opinion

ID: 9739445
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 20:14:57.808219+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:24:12.249051
License: Public Domain

JUSTICE THOMAS, dissenting: In reversing the appellate court, the majority finds that defendant’s gesture was similar to that of the defendant in United States v. Giuliani, 581 F. Supp. 212 (N.D. Ill. 1984), where the court found a defendant’s statement did not constitute voluntary consent. However, as set forth below, the factual situation in Giuliani was drastically different from the factual situation in this case. In fact, the common thread between Giuliani and similar decisions is the fact that the officers in those cases proceeded to search even though the defendants had unequivocally objected or otherwise explicitly indicated that they did not consent to a search. Because I find this case to be distinguishable from those cases, I respectfully dissent from the majority opinion. In Giuliani, the court found that the defendant’s statement to a drug enforcement agency (DEA) agent to “ ‘Do what you have to do’ ” did not constitute voluntary consent to search a suitcase. Giuliani, 581 F. Supp. 212. In that case, the defendant was questioned by a DEA agent for 20 to 25 minutes even though he repeatedly refused to answer the agent’s questions and declined the agent’s request to look in his bag. Giuliani, 581 F. Supp. at 214-15. When the agent, having obtained no information from the defendant, then told the defendant he might want a dog to sniff the defendant’s bag, the defendant responded, “ ‘Do what you have to do.’ ” Giuliani, 581 F. Supp. at 214. The court held that the government had not sustained its burden of showing more than a mere submission to a claim of lawful authority by the defendant when he said, “ ‘Do what you have to do.’ ” Giuliani, 581 F. Supp. at 218. The defendant in Giuliani clearly was aware that despite his refusal to answer questions and to allow the agent to look in his bag, the agent was going to continue to question him. Under the circumstances of that case, there is no question that the defendant did not consent to the search of his bag and instead was resigned to the fact that the agent would search his bag regardless. Here, unlike Giuliani, there is no evidence that defendant declined any of the officers’ requests or that the officers proceeded over defendant’s objections. That defendant in this case did more than simply acquiesce is apparent when contrasted with other cases in which a defendant’s conduct was found to be mere acquiescence to a show of police authority. For example, in People v. Sweborg, 293 Ill. App. 3d 298, 302 (1997), an officer asked the defendant if he could search the defendant’s car trunk and the defendant replied, “ ‘No. I really don’t want you to.’ ” The defendant continued to state that he did not want the officer to search the trunk, but when the officer had difficulty removing the defendant’s keys from the car’s ignition and began shaking the ignition, the defendant told the officer to push a button under the steering wheel to release the keys. Sweborg, 293 Ill. App. 3d at 302. Although the trial court found that the defendant had consented to the search when he told the officer how to release the keys, the appellate court refused to construe the defendant’s statement as a consent to search, and instead found that the defendant’s actions were consistent with a denial of consent to search. Sweborg, 293 Ill. App. 3d at 303. Similarly, in People v. Taylor, 245 Ill. App. 3d 602, 603 (1993), the defendant’s car was stopped by a state trooper because the car did not have a rear bumper. As the defendant was exiting the trooper’s car after receiving a warning ticket, the trooper told the defendant that he also was a DEA agent and asked if he could conduct a routine search of the defendant’s car. Taylor, 245 Ill. App. 3d at 603-04. When the defendant told the trooper that he had a long drive ahead of him and would just as soon be on his way, the trooper stated it would only take a minute and radioed for backup. Taylor, 245 Ill. App. 3d at 604. The trooper then exited his patrol car and began searching defendant’s car. Taylor, 245 Ill. App. 3d at 604. The appellate court found that the defendant’s statement to the trooper was not an unequivocal and specific consent to search and held that the trial court had properly granted the defendant’s motion to suppress. Taylor, 245 Ill. App. 3d at 607-08. Likewise, in People v. Cardenas, 237 Ill. App. 3d 584, 585 (1992), the defendant was pulled over by a state trooper, was given a warning citation for speeding, and was told that there was nothing more to the stop. The trooper, who was accompanied by two other state troopers by this time, then asked the defendant if she had any drugs or weapons in her vehicle. Cardenas, 237 Ill. App. 3d at 585. When defendant said no, the trooper asked the defendant if she would mind if he looked. Cardenas, 237 Ill. App. 3d at 585-86. The defendant paused, looked at her passenger, then said, “ ‘No, is that legal?’ ” (Emphasis omitted.) Cardenas, 237 Ill. App. 3d at 586. The trooper responded that it was legal and that they did it all the time. Cardenas, 237 Ill. App. 3d at 586. The trooper also gave the defendant a consent form to sign, but told her that they would be taking her vehicle whether or not she signed the form. Cardenas, 237 Ill. App. 3d at 586. The court held that the defendant had signed the form in acquiescence to a show of lawful police authority, but did not consent, because the trooper had conveyed the false impression that it was legal to conduct the search even without her consent. Cardenas, 237 Ill. App. 3d at 588. In each of the foregoing cases, the defendants had made it clear, through their words or actions, that they did not wish to consent to a search. Here, defendant never indicated to the officers, either verbally or through his actions, that he did not wish to answer the officers’ questions or consent to a search. As such, I cannot agree with the majority that this case is so similar to Giuliani that the appellate court’s decision cannot stand. I also cannot agree that defendant’s conduct in this case was ambiguous. Rather, I find the facts of this case to be strikingly similar to those cases in which a defendant’s conduct was found to convey consent to search. For example, consent to enter a defendant’s apartment was found where, in response to an officer’s request to enter a defendant’s apartment to find out what happened and to straighten things out, the defendant did not verbally respond but did open the door and step aside. People v. Lozano, 316 Ill. App. 3d 505, 510 (2000). Consent to open a vial was found where an officer asked the defendant if he would show him the vial, and in response, the defendant handed the vial to the officer. In re M.N., 268 Ill. App. 3d 893, 896 (1994). Consent to enter an apartment also was found where a defendant opened the door for the police, then went inside and sat down at the kitchen table. People v. Gross, 166 Ill. App. 3d 413, 423 (1988); see also United States v. Walls, 225 F.3d 858, 863 (7th Cir. 2000) (defendant conveyed her consent to agents’ entrance into her home where she opened her door and stepped back to allow entry); United States v. Cotnam, 88 F.3d 487, 490 (7th Cir. 1996) (consent to enter motel room conveyed where officer extended room key to defendant, defendant did not accept the key but gestured toward the door, and then walked inside room after officer had opened the door). Consent to search a vehicle has been found where an officer asked a defendant if he could search the defendant’s car, and the defendant responded, “ ‘I don’t care— you can if you want to.’ ” United States v. Baker, 78 F.3d 1241, 1244 (7th Cir. 1996). Consent to search a bag was found where in response to an officer’s question, “ ‘What’s in that bag?’ ” the defendant handed the officer the bag. United States v. McGuire, 957 F.2d 310, 314 (7th Cir. 1992). Finally, in a case quite similar to this case, at the conclusion of a traffic stop, a state trooper asked the defendant if there were any guns or drugs in the car. United States v. Price, 54 F.3d 342, 344 (7th Cir. 1995). The defendant said “ ‘no,’ ” and when the trooper asked the defendant, “ ‘Do you mind if I take a look?’ ” the defendant replied “ ‘sure.’ ” Price, 54 F.3d at 345. When the trooper then asked if he could pat the defendant down, the defendant said nothing “but raised his arms until they were almost horizontal to the ground.” Price, 54 F.3d at 345. The trooper patted the defendant down, then asked the defendant to have a seat in the patrol car. Price, 54 F.3d at 345. The court found that defendant had consented to the search, noting that defendant never made any verbal objections or any physical gestures indicating objection. Price, 54 F.3d at 345. Here, the officers asked defendant if they could talk to him, in response to which defendant stopped and waited for the officers to reach him. Because defendant was repeatedly putting his hands in his pockets, the officers asked defendant if he could keep his hands out of his pockets, and defendant complied. The officers then asked defendant if he had anything on him that he should not have and the defendant answered “no.” When the officers next asked if defendant would consent to a search of his person, defendant spread his legs apart and put his hands on top of his head. It is worth noting that when the officers asked for consent to search, defendant did not decline or hesitate, but instead “assumed the position.” If, as the majority finds, defendant’s gesture in this case was ambiguous, it is difficult to conceive of any nonverbal gesture, short of nodding one’s head in assent, that could be construed as unambiguous. The majority, then, effectively has eliminated nonverbal conduct as a means of conveying consent. Such a result, however, is contrary to prior decisions of this court recognizing that consent may be based upon nonverbal conduct. See People v. Henderson, 142 Ill. 2d 258, 297-98 (1990). Based upon the totality of the circumstances, I believe the State did establish that defendant voluntarily and unambiguously consented to a search of his person. For that reason, I would affirm the appellate court’s decision.