Supreme Court of Illinois

Conviction for aggravated unlawful use of a weapon is affirmed where: 1) the officer had probable cause to make a warrantless seizure and search of a "one-hitter" box in plain view; 2) the officer then had probable cause to arrest defendant; 3) when defendant exited the vehicle, the handgun was in plan view; and 4) the officer was then authorized to search the entire passenger compartment of the vehicle, which produced the loaded handgun and additional bullets.

Appellate Information

• Decided 05/19/2005
• Published 05/19/2005

Judges

• Justice FREEMAN delivered the opinion of the court:

Court

• Supreme Court of Illinois

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• Lisa Madigan, Attorney General, Springfield, and Robert Haida, State's Attorney, Belleville (Gary Feinerman, Solicitor General, and Linda D. Woloshin and David H. Iskowich, Assistant Attorneys General, Chicago, and Norbert J. Goetten, Stephen E. Norris and Sharon Shanahan, of the Office of the State's Attorneys Appellate Prosecutor, Mt. Vernon, of counsel), and Jonathan Shih, law student, for the People.


• For Appellees:
  
• Herbert J. Lantz, Jr., Belleville, for appellee.