{
  "id": 2499759,
  "name": "Louis Williams, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Clem Ferguson et al., Defendants-Appellants",
  "name_abbreviation": "Williams v. Ferguson",
  "decision_date": "1975-06-02",
  "docket_number": "No. 60829",
  "first_page": "578",
  "last_page": "579",
  "citations": [
    {
      "type": "official",
      "cite": "29 Ill. App. 3d 578"
    }
  ],
  "court": {
    "name_abbreviation": "Ill. App. Ct.",
    "id": 8837,
    "name": "Illinois Appellate Court"
  },
  "jurisdiction": {
    "id": 29,
    "name_long": "Illinois",
    "name": "Ill."
  },
  "cites_to": [
    {
      "cite": "314 N.E.2d 337",
      "category": "reporters:state_regional",
      "reporter": "N.E.2d",
      "opinion_index": 0
    },
    {
      "cite": "20 Ill. App.3d 356",
      "category": "reporters:state",
      "reporter": "Ill. App. 3d",
      "case_ids": [
        5346008
      ],
      "opinion_index": 0,
      "case_paths": [
        "/ill-app-3d/20/0356-01"
      ]
    },
    {
      "cite": "246 N.E.2d 42",
      "category": "reporters:state_regional",
      "reporter": "N.E.2d",
      "opinion_index": 0
    },
    {
      "cite": "107 Ill.App.2d 90",
      "category": "reporters:state",
      "reporter": "Ill. App. 2d",
      "case_ids": [
        1596893
      ],
      "opinion_index": 0,
      "case_paths": [
        "/ill-app-2d/107/0090-01"
      ]
    },
    {
      "cite": "190 N.E.2d 731",
      "category": "reporters:state_regional",
      "reporter": "N.E.2d",
      "opinion_index": 0
    },
    {
      "cite": "28 Ill.2d 199",
      "category": "reporters:state",
      "reporter": "Ill. 2d",
      "case_ids": [
        5363115
      ],
      "opinion_index": 0,
      "case_paths": [
        "/ill-2d/28/0199-01"
      ]
    },
    {
      "cite": "287 N.E.2d 731",
      "category": "reporters:state_regional",
      "reporter": "N.E.2d",
      "opinion_index": 0
    },
    {
      "cite": "7 Ill.App.3d 614",
      "category": "reporters:state",
      "reporter": "Ill. App. 3d",
      "case_ids": [
        2667716
      ],
      "opinion_index": 0,
      "case_paths": [
        "/ill-app-3d/7/0614-01"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "analysis": {
    "cardinality": 226,
    "char_count": 2688,
    "ocr_confidence": 0.729,
    "pagerank": {
      "raw": 5.8591662004228935e-08,
      "percentile": 0.36531261088966965
    },
    "sha256": "b7c0b38d188b7d2ec1aa926249d44609f8d64eb9b87a78b3695cc2bd3cfe6a52",
    "simhash": "1:e3ccd38c94ad55a8",
    "word_count": 421
  },
  "last_updated": "2023-07-14T17:27:57.823802+00:00",
  "provenance": {
    "date_added": "2019-08-29",
    "source": "Harvard",
    "batch": "2018"
  },
  "casebody": {
    "judges": [],
    "parties": [
      "Louis Williams, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Clem Ferguson et al., Defendants-Appellants."
    ],
    "opinions": [
      {
        "text": "Mr. PRESIDING JUSTICE BURKE\ndelivered the opinion of the court:\nLouis Williams brought an action against Clem and Ozelle Ferguson, as landlords, for their negligence in properly maintaining a stairway leading to Williams\u2019 apartment. The complaint alleged that Williams had sustained numerous injuries from a fall which was allegedly caused by the poor physical condition of the stairway. After receiving testimony and arguments of counsel at a bench trial, the court entered judgment for Williams in the amount of $1500.\nDefendants contend on appeal that Williams, as a tenant, had exclusive control of the stairway and was therefore responsible for the care and maintenance of the area. Defendants further contend that the court\u2019s judgment was not based on the merits of the case, but rather on the defendants\u2019 purported courtroom misconduct.\nA verbatim transcript of proceedings is not contained in the record. When no verbatim transcript is available, a bystander\u2019s report may be prepared and submitted to the trial judge for certification pursuant to Supreme Court Rule 323. (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1971, ch. 110A, par. 323; Doran v. Doran, 7 Ill.App.3d 614, 287 N.E.2d 731.) However, a bystander\u2019s report was not filed and we have no account of the proceedings of the bench trial.\nThe central issue before the trial court was whether the landlord-defendants had a duty to maintain the stairway leading to the tenant-plaintiffs apartment in a reasonably safe condition. Questions of both law and fact were inherent to the court\u2019s determination of the issue. The trial court stated that its order was based upon \u201cthe court having heard all evidence adduced herein and the arguments of counsel and being fully advised in the premises.\u201d It must be presumed that the court heard sufficient evidence to support the decision rendered. (Skaggs v. Junis, 28 Ill.2d 199, 190 N.E.2d 731.) Defendants have the burden of preserving a record which demonstrates that the evidence presented was insufficient to support the court\u2019s judgment. (Perez v. Janota, 107 Ill.App.2d 90, 246 N.E.2d 42.) Since defendants failed to meet their burden of providing a record to support their contentions, it must be assumed that the evidence fully supported the court\u2019s finding. Egebergh v. Schumann, 20 Ill. App.3d 356, 314 N.E.2d 337 (abstract opinion).\nFor these reasons, the judgment is affirmed.\nJudgment affirmed.\nGOLDBERG and SIMON, JJ., concur.",
        "type": "majority",
        "author": "Mr. PRESIDING JUSTICE BURKE"
      }
    ],
    "attorneys": [
      "Leonard Karlin and Mark EL Kruger, both of Chicago, for appellants.",
      "Goldstein, Goldberg and Fishman, of Chicago, for appellee."
    ],
    "corrections": "",
    "head_matter": "Louis Williams, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Clem Ferguson et al., Defendants-Appellants.\n(No. 60829;\nFirst District (1st Division)\nJune 2, 1975.\nLeonard Karlin and Mark EL Kruger, both of Chicago, for appellants.\nGoldstein, Goldberg and Fishman, of Chicago, for appellee."
  },
  "file_name": "0578-01",
  "first_page_order": 602,
  "last_page_order": 603
}