Court Opinion

ID: 9741989
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 21:05:05.250061+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:24:27.504647
License: Public Domain

JUSTICE MYERSCOUGH, specially concurring in part and dissenting in part: I concur in the majority’s resolution of Nos. 4 — 07—0033 and 4 — 07—0034. However, with respect to the majority’s resolution of No. 4 — 07— 0032,1 respectfully dissent. I would affirm the trial court in its entirety on the conviction and sentence for possession of a deadly substance. The majority and the Qualls court erroneously find the statute ambiguous because the term “poisonous gas” has two definitions. Such an interpretation of ambiguity would necessarily render all statutes ambiguous. Nearly every word in Webster’s has at least two meanings. There is no need here to apply the rule of noscitur a sociis. The meaning of the statute here is clear yet ignored by the majority and the Qualls court. Possession of any poisonous gas with intent to commit a felony is illegal and a Class 1 felony, whether that gas was designed to kill or be harmful in quantity on contact. The use of the term “any” denotes a broad category of gases, not a narrow category limited only to “designer gases.” The majority unreasonably reads the statute narrowly, excluding other deadly toxic gases — not only anhydrous ammonia, but others such as chlorine, gasoline, and propane. Anhydrous ammonia is not only fatal in suitable quantities but is the precursor to ammonium nitrate, also a fertilizer, which along with fuel oil, exploded the Hurrah Building in Oklahoma City in April 1995. Moreover, chlorine was largely used as a weapon in World War I. See D. Cave & A. Fadam, Iraqi Militants Use Chlorine in 3 Bombings, N.Y. Times, February 21, 2007, available at http://www.nytimes.com/ 2007/02/21/world/middleeast/21cnd-baghdad.html (last visited January 31, 2008). More recently, terrorists in Iraq have relied on small bombs to set off chlorine tanker trucks. See D. Cave & A. Fadam, Iraqi Militants Use Chlorine in 3 Bombings, N.Y. Times, February 21, 2007, available at http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/21/world/middleeast/ 21cnd-baghdad.html (last visited January 31, 2008). The majority and the Qualls court mistakenly exclude potentially deadly or injurious gases because the words “any poisonous gases” appears in proximity to “deadly substance” and “deadly biological or chemical contaminant or agent.” 720 ILCS 5/20.5 — 6 (West 2002). However, “deadly substance” is actually defined as a number of categories of poison, including “any poisonous gas” and “deadly biological or chemical contaminant or agent.” Certainly, then, the poisonous gas must be deadly. But the mere fact “poisonous gas” is included in a series of other deadly substances does not reflect a legislative intent to exclude potentially deadly gases. Nowhere in the statute is there any language to include only inherently but not potentially poisonous gases. Finally, the fact that the legislature subsequently passed a law to address the methamphetamine explosion does nothing to affect the crime of possession of a deadly substance. The majority and the Qualls court in reality focus on the felony for which the poisonous gas was to be used. In essence,"since Davison was going to manufacture methamphetamine and not commit what is ordinarily defined as “an act of terror,” the majority excludes this crime. However, the legislature did not do so. We must give effect to the plain language of the statute. If this is not what the legislature intended, it can amend the statute. Such is not our role. Since the State met its burden, I would affirm.