People v. WaidPeople v. Waid
delivered the judgment of the court, with opinion.
Chief Justice Thomas and Justices Freeman, Fitzgerald, Kilbride, Garman, and Karmeier concurred in the judgment and opinion.
OPINION
Defendant, Craig Waid, was charged with various drug- and alcohol-related offenses in four separate cases in the circuit court of Pike County. Prior to trial, on defendant’s motion, the circuit court found defendant mentally unfit to stand trial. The court also found that there was no substantial probability that defendant, if provided with a course of treatment, would attain fitness within one year.
BACKGROUND
In case No. 03 — DT—84, defendant was charged with driving a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, a Class A misdemeanor. In a second case, No. 03 — CM— 227, defendant was charged with three offenses: possession of drug paraphernalia, a Class A misdemeanor; possession of cannabis, a Class C misdemeanor; and delivery of alcoholic liquor to a person under 21 years of age, a Class A misdemeanor. In No. 04 — CM—44, defendant was charged with two of the same offenses as in No. 03— CM — 227: possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of cannabis. In the fourth case, No. 03 — TR—3632, defendant was cited for illegal transportation of alcohol.
Prior to trial, defendant moved, pursuant to section 104 — 11 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963 (
The jury found defendant “not mentally fit to stand trial,” and the circuit court entered an order to that effect. Subsequently, the circuit court found that there was no substantial probability that defendant would become fit within one year. Under
With regard to evidence that may be admitted at a discharge hearing, subsection (a) provides:
“The court may admit hearsay or affidavit evidence on secondary matters such as testimony to establish the chain of possession of physical evidence, laboratory reports, authentication of transcriptstaken by official reporters, court and business records, and public documents.” 725 ILCS 5/104 — 25(a) (West 2004).
Pursuant to this provision, the State moved, prior to the discharge hearing, for admission of various items of evidence from the Pike County sheriffs department and the Illinois State Police. Included were sheriffs department evidence-inventory logs referring to “seeds,” a “green leafy substance,” a “metal tube,” “pills” and “pipes.” The State also sought to admit State Police evidence receipts referring to these same items, as well as State Police lab results on cannabis and blood. The circuit court ordered the parties to file briefs on the issue of “admission of evidence by affidavit/hearsay in a discharge hearing pursuant to 725 [ILCS] 5/104 — 25.”
A hearing was held on the State’s motion to admit evidence, and the circuit court denied the motion. Relying on People v. McClanahan,
“[T]he Court was vеry clear in McClanahan that affidavit evidence was not available at the criminal trial. *** [T]hey said it violated the right of confrontation, and it violated the right of the defendant to confront the witness.”
The circuit court also noted that, while a discharge hearing apparently was a civil proceeding, a finding of no acquittal (not not guilty) could result in the loss of defendant’s freedom. The court stated: “[Defendant] could be, although not incarcerated, he certainly could lose his freedom if he were to be hosрitalized or placed in a facility of some sort.”
The circuit court’s order effectively held
The State appealed, and the case was docketed in the appellate court. On August 1, 2005, the appellate court entered an order transferring the appeal to this court pursuant to Supreme Court Rule 365 (155 Ill. 2d R. 365). The order stated:
“The State appeals from an order effectively holdingsection 104 — 25(a) of the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963 unconstitutionаl. Under either civil or criminal Supreme Court Rules, such appeals are within the direct jurisdiction of the supreme court. Accordingly, pursuant to Supreme Court Rule 365, this appeal is transferred to the Supreme Court of Illinois.”
ANALYSIS
At the outset, we clarify the basis of our jurisdiction. The parties, in their briefs, raise the question of whether this case falls under the rules for appeal in criminal cases (Rules 603 and 604(a)) or civil cases (Rule 302). We turn to the issue of whether a discharge hearing is civil or criminal in nature.
The State argues that a dischargе hearing is not a criminal prosecution. Instead, it is an “innocence only” proceeding that results in a final adjudication of charges only if the evidence fails to establish the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable
Defendant argues, to the contrary, that a discharge hearing is more criminal than civil in nature. Under
We agree with the State that a discharge hearing is not a criminal prosecution. It is well settled that the due process clause of the fourteenth amendment (
Notwithstanding the foregoing, defendant points to the “treatment period” that results from a finding of not not guilty. According to defendant,
Defendant is incorrect in asserting that the treatment period must be equal to a defendant’s maximum potential prison sentence. Under
Defendant also is incorrect in asserting that the purpose of a discharge hearing is to imposе punishment. As previously noted, a discharge hearing is “an ‘innocence only’ hearing, that is to say, a proceeding to determine only whether to enter a judgment of acquittal, not to make a determination of guilt.” Rink,
We conclude that a
We need not decide whether jurisdiction exists in this cause under Rule 302(a)(1). Rule 302(b) authorizes this court to grant direct appeal in cases in which the public interest requires prompt adjudication. 134 Ill. 2d R. 302(b). In our view, the instant appeal, which is from the circuit court’s declaration that
Before addressing the constitutionality of
The primary objective in construing a statute is to give effect to the intention of the legislature. The best indication of this intent are the words of the statute. People v. Collins,
“The court may admit hearsay or affidavit evidence on secondary matters such as testimony to establish the chain of possession of physical evidence, laboratory reports, authentication of transcripts taken by official reporters, court and business records, and public documents.” (Emphases added.)725 ILCS 5/104 — 25(a) (West 2004).
The plain language of
We turn to the question of the constitutionality of
In McClanahan, this court held that
McClanahan is distinguishable from the case at bar. In McClanahan, the evidence in question was admitted in a criminal prosecution, a proceeding to which the confrontation clause clearly applies. The sixth amendment of the United States Constitution states, in pertinent part: “In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right *** to be confronted with the witnesses against him ***.” (Emphasis added.)
We find support for our conclusion in Commonwealth v. DelVerde,
In the case at bar, defendant argues that the sixth amendment right to confrontation does apply to a discharge hearing. However, he qualifies this contention by noting that this right is tolled by a defendant’s unfitness. Defendant’s position is essentially in accord with our holding regarding the applicability of the confrontation clause to a discharge hearing. Because a discharge hearing under
Defendant argues in the alternative that even if a discharge hearing is civil rather than criminal in nature, protections such
Defendant is correct regarding the rights granted a defendant in а proceeding under the SDPA. In People v. Trainor,
Proceedings under the SDPA are distinguishable from a
A discharge hearing, by contrast, is an “innocence only” proceeding that results in a final determination of the charges against the defendant only if he is found not guilty, or not guilty by reason of insanity. If the evidence presented at a discharge hearing is sufficient to establish the defendant’s guilt, no conviction results. Instead, the defendant is found not not guilty. “The question of guilt is to be deferred until the defendant is fit to stand trial.” Rink,
This court has come to a similar conclusion regarding a juvenile transfer hearing, which is a proceeding to determine whether a juvenile may be tried as an adult (
In In re W.J.,
“[T]he salient feature of the transfer hearing is that, analogous to the preliminary or detention hearing, it does not result in a determination of guilt or innocence. [Citations.] As such, the requisite due prоcess safeguards need not rise to the level mandated in a criminal or adjudicatory proceeding. [Citations.] Like the preliminary hearing, transfer proceedings may be based upon hearsay evidence.” W.J.,284 Ill. App. 3d at 208 .
Defendant argues that a discharge hearing is not analogous to a juvenile transfer hearing, which is nonadjudicatory. In defendant’s view, a discharge hearing is adjudicatory. Defendant asserts: “The hearing process under the Statute in issue does result in a finding of guilt or innocence.” This is simply not the case. As we have previously noted, a discharge hearing under
In determining whether a statute has been shown to be unconstitutional, we are guided by the principle that all statutes are presumed to be constitutional. The burden of rebutting that presumption is on the party challenging the validity of the statute to demonstrate clearly a constitutional violation. People v. Greco,
In the case at bar, there has been no clear showing of a constitutional violation. The sixth amendment confrontation clause does not apply to a discharge hearing, which is not a criminal prosecution. Therefore,
CONCLUSION
We reverse the judgment of the circuit court denying the State’s motion to admit evidence-inventory logs, evidence receipts, and laboratory reports pursuant to
Circuit court judgment reversed; cause remanded.
Notes
During the period of the defendant’s commitment to DHS for treatment, the original court having jurisdiction over the defendant must hold a hearing every 180 days to determine whether the defendant: (1) remains subject to involuntary commitment, or (2) is in need of mental-health services in the form of inpatient care, or (3) is in need of mental-health services but is not subject to involuntary commitment or inpatient care.