{
  "id": 2594094,
  "name": "THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. KEVIN A. HARRISON, Defendant-Appellee",
  "name_abbreviation": "People v. Harrison",
  "decision_date": "1990-08-10",
  "docket_number": "No. 3-89-0570",
  "first_page": "65",
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    "name_abbreviation": "Ill. App. Ct.",
    "id": 8837,
    "name": "Illinois Appellate Court"
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      "reporter": "N.E.2d",
      "year": 1989,
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    {
      "cite": "180 Ill. App. 3d 629",
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      "year": 1989,
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      "reporter": "N.E.2d",
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    {
      "cite": "149 Ill. App. 3d 458",
      "category": "reporters:state",
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  "last_updated": "2023-07-14T22:48:55.467533+00:00",
  "provenance": {
    "date_added": "2019-08-29",
    "source": "Harvard",
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  "casebody": {
    "judges": [],
    "parties": [
      "THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. KEVIN A. HARRISON, Defendant-Appellee."
    ],
    "opinions": [
      {
        "text": "JUSTICE SCOTT\ndelivered the opinion of the court:\nThe State charged the defendant, Kevin A. Harrison, with failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1987, ch. 95V2, par. 11 \u2014 601(a)). The trial court subsequently dismissed the charge, relying on our ruling in People v. Lundgren (1986), 149 Ill. App. 3d 458, 500 N.E.2d 727. The State appeals, asking this court to reconsider Lundgren.\nThe record shows that the traffic citation issued to the defendant did not allege the speed at which he was traveling or the speed limit at the location of the accident. In Lundgren, we held that a complaint which fails to incorporate this information is fatally deficient.\nWe based our Lundgren decision on section 11 \u2014 610(a) of the Illinois Vehicle Code (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1987, ch. 951\u00e1>, par. 11 \u2014 610(a)), which requires that all complaints for violation of article VI speed regulations must specify the defendant\u2019s alleged speed and the applicable speed limit. Given the plain and unambiguous language of section 11\u2014 610(a), we found that it applied to the article VI offense of failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident.\nSince our Lundgren decision, the Fourth and Fifth Districts of the Illinois Appellate Court have ruled that a complaint charging this offense need not list the defendant\u2019s speed or the applicable speed limit. (People v. Naber (4th Dist., 1989), 180 Ill. App. 3d 629, 536 N.E.2d 118; People v. Luka (5th Dist., 1989), 184 Ill. App. 3d 84, 540 N.E.2d 14.) Both courts noted that a complaint for failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident is normally issued after the vehicle has come to a sudden halt as a result of a collision, with the peace officer having made no observations of the speed of the defendant\u2019s vehicle prior to the collision. Accordingly, requiring the officer to state on the citation the defendant\u2019s speed has the practical effect of making it nearly impossible to charge someone with this offense. This runs afoul of the rule of statutory construction stating that repeal by implication is not favored and will not be found unless the legislature clearly intended that result. (People v. Moffitt (1985), 138 Ill. App. 3d 106, 485 N.E.2d 513.) Further, both courts noted that there is no reason for listing the defendant\u2019s speed or the applicable speed limit in a section 11 \u2014 601(a) complaint, since those facts are not elements of the offense. One can commit this offense at any speed, even when driving below the speed limit.\nHaving reconsidered this issue, we agree that requiring the State to include the defendant\u2019s speed in the complaint simply places an impossible, and meaningless, burden upon it. We further agree that there is no clear indication the legislature intended to repeal section 11 \u2014 601(a). Accordingly, we hereby overturn Lundgren and hold that a complaint charging the offense of failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident need not allege the speed of the defendant\u2019s vehicle nor the applicable speed limit.\nThe judgment of the circuit court of Hancock County dismissing the charge against the defendant is reversed, and the cause is remanded for further proceedings.\nReversed and remanded.\nHEIPLE, RJ., and BARRY, J., concur.",
        "type": "majority",
        "author": "JUSTICE SCOTT"
      }
    ],
    "attorneys": [
      "Samuel Naylor VI, State\u2019s Attorney, of Carthage (Judith Z. Kelly and John X. Breslin, both of State\u2019s Attorneys Appellate Prosecutor\u2019s Office, of counsel), for the People.",
      "Albert V. Ancelet, of Capps, Ancelet & Stoverink, of Carthage, for appellee."
    ],
    "corrections": "",
    "head_matter": "THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. KEVIN A. HARRISON, Defendant-Appellee.\nThird District\nNo. 3-89-0570\nOpinion filed August 10, 1990.\nSamuel Naylor VI, State\u2019s Attorney, of Carthage (Judith Z. Kelly and John X. Breslin, both of State\u2019s Attorneys Appellate Prosecutor\u2019s Office, of counsel), for the People.\nAlbert V. Ancelet, of Capps, Ancelet & Stoverink, of Carthage, for appellee."
  },
  "file_name": "0065-01",
  "first_page_order": 85,
  "last_page_order": 86
}