Court Opinion

ID: 9707334
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 02:08:57.82707+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:22:31.225844
License: Public Domain

McCORMICK, P. J., dissenting: I must dissent from the conclusion of the majority that the petition for rehearing should not be granted. In the original opinion a colloquy before the court was cited in which the defendant was presented with a jury waiver and informed concerning it by his attorney. The defendant was then asked if he knew what a jury is, and he asked “A what?” His attorney said, “A jury trial is?” and repeated the question. No answer appears in the record, but immediately after that the defendant’s attorney said, “And you don’t want a jury trial, is that right?” The defendant said no, and signed the waiver. The colloquy continued as follows: The Court: “All right, this document you have signed, you know this is a waiver of a jury?” Defendant Bell: “Yes.” The Court: “All right, you have signed it.” The implication is that the defendant nodded in response to the question with reference to his knowledge of what a jury or a jury trial was. In its petition for rehearing the State argues that the cause should be remanded only to determine whether or not the defendant understandingly waived his right to a jury trial. In the supplemental opinion the court takes the view that the fact that the jury waiver hearing was not as comprehensive as it should have been does not warrant a new hearing. The point is whether or not the defendant responded affirmatively to the question asked him by his attorney. That cannot be determined from the record, and for that reason I feel this court should remand the case to the trial court for a rehearing on the question of whether the jury waiver was intelligently and properly made. In the instant case there is no question that if the jury was properly waived the defendant was convicted beyond a reasonable doubt. In People v. Richardson, 32 Ill2d 497, 207 NE2d 453, the Supreme Court said at page 499: “Whether a jury waiver has been knowingly and understandingly made depends upon the facts and circumstances of each case, and there can be no precise formula for determining whether a waiver is understandingly made. . . . Merely because the court did not at length discuss the consequences of the jury waiver does not necessarily require a holding that the waiver was not understandingly made. . . . [W] e believe that this record indicates that defendant understanding^ waived his right to trial by jury.” In the supplemental opinion the court has cited and quoted from People v. Novotny, 41 Ill2d 401 244 NE2d 182. Following the quotation cited in the opinion, the court in Novotny further said: “ Tt is settled law that when an accused is present in court and represented by competent counsel, he is bound by the actions and concessions of counsel, and that even constitutional rights may be waived in the course of a trial.’ [Citing numerous cases.]” The writer of this dissent believes that the rights of the People must be considered equally with the rights of the defendant in a criminal case. The cause should be remanded for a determination of whether the defendant knowingly waived his right to a jury trial. If it is so determined, a new judgment of conviction should be entered. If it is determined that he did not knowingly waive his right, then a new trial should be ordered.