Court Opinion

ID: 9735294
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 18:08:19.71564+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:26:56.912526
License: Public Domain

JUSTICE RATHJE, specially concurring: I agree with the majority’s conclusion that the trial court properly refused to instruct the jury on involuntary manslaughter. I write separately only to note that, in addition to the two arguments addressed by the majority, defendant raises an argument not addressed by the majority. In his brief before this court, defendant argues that, based upon the evidence presented at trial, the jury reasonably could have drawn any of the following three conclusions: (1) defendant continued to struggle with the victim after the victim drew a gun; (2) defendant continued to struggle with the victim after successfully wresting the gun from the victim; and (3) defendant himself drew a gun during an altercation with the victim. According to defendant, the trial court should have given the involuntary manslaughter instruction because each of these three conclusions reflects reckless behavior by the defendant. Although the majority addresses and disposes of conclusions (1) and (3) above, it does not address conclusion (2). This oversight in no way affects the outcome of this case, as defendant waived this argument by raising it for the first time during oral argument before the appellate court. See People v. Lewis, 165 Ill. 2d 305, 334 (1995) (arguments raised for first time on appeal are waived). Nevertheless, in fairness to both the parties presently before this court as well as future litigants, we ought at least to acknowledge each argument raised, even if that argument unquestionably is waived.