People v. Trajano , 110 N.E.3d 1133 ( 2018 )

2018 IL App (2d) 160322 No. 2-16-0322
Opinion filed August 22, 2018
______________________________________________________________________________
IN THE
APPELLATE COURT OF ILLINOIS
SECOND DISTRICT
______________________________________________________________________________
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE ) Appeal from the Circuit Court
OF ILLINOIS, ) of Boone County.
)
Plaintiff-Appellee, )
)
v. ) No. 11-CF-364
)
TITA G. TRAJANO, ) Honorable
) C. Robert Tobin III,
Defendant-Appellant. ) Judge, Presiding.
______________________________________________________________________________
JUSTICE BURKE delivered the judgment of the court, with opinion.
Presiding Justice Hudson and Justice Hutchinson concurred in the judgment and opinion.
OPINION
¶1 Following a jury trial in the Boone County circuit court, defendant, Tita G. Trajano, was
convicted of criminal negligence of an elderly person (720 ILCS 5/12-21(a)(2) (West 2008)
(now 720 ILCS 5/12-4.4a(b)(1)(B)) and sentenced to 18 months of conditional discharge. On
appeal, she argues that the State failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that she
(1) knowingly failed to perform acts that she knew or reasonably should have known were
necessary to maintain the health of the victim, Richard Brown, and (2) did not make a
“good[-]faith effort” to care for Richard. Id. § 12-21(a)(2), (d). We affirm.
¶2 I. BACKGROUND
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¶3 Evidence presented at trial revealed that, in February 2009, Dan Brown, Richard’s son,
contracted with BrightStar Healthcare (BrightStar) to provide live-in home health care for his
mother, Eileen Brown, who lived with Richard in an apartment attached to Katherine and Chris
Landgraff’s home. Katherine is Dan’s sister. Although the family primarily sought care for
Eileen, who had severe Alzheimer’s disease, they also sought care for Richard, who, at 85, was
blind in one eye, deaf in one ear, and had difficulty moving around without a cane or walker.
Additionally, the family believed that Richard had dementia, although Richard was never
formally diagnosed with this. Care for Richard included preparing his meals; doing his laundry;
helping him bathe, dress, and use the bathroom if he wanted help; and generally keeping him
safe.
¶4 BrightStar contracted with Joyful Hearts Home Health Support, Inc. (Joyful Hearts), to
provide the necessary services. Joyful Hearts, which was owned at least in part by Esmeralda
Roxas, placed Kaye Jensen in the Browns’ home. Defendant substituted for Jensen.
¶5 Defendant is a small Filipino woman in her seventies. In the Philippines, she took
premed classes, which consisted of psychology, physiology, and biochemistry, and later
switched her major to nutrition. Just prior to graduating, defendant got married, and she never
received her degree. Defendant and her husband had five children and moved to the United
States in 1979. In 2008, defendant began working for Joyful Hearts. Defendant testified that she
had “a lot” of clients, and she described herself as an “experienced caregiver.”
¶6 Between February and May 2009, defendant provided services three times to the Browns,
who defendant indicated were physically combative and walked around all night shouting. The
last time defendant provided services for the Browns, she reported to their home on Thursday,
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May 14, 2009, at around 5 p.m. Although the Landgraffs met with defendant at that time, they
did not discuss with her anything having to do with caring for the Browns.
¶7 Katherine testified that, in the Browns’ apartment, there was a list on a desk in the
kitchen that contained contact information. Katherine indicated that “[e]verything was on there.”
Katherine theorized that Jensen showed the list to defendant, because “[t]hat was her job” and
Jensen was “really thorough.” Jensen testified that there was contact information for the family,
Joyful Hearts, and BrightStar on a sticker on the Browns’ refrigerator, and she believed that she
pointed those out to defendant. Defendant testified that she did not know the phone numbers of
Katherine or BrightStar.
¶8 On May 15, 2009, the Landgraffs left for work early in the morning. While defendant
was caring for Eileen, she heard Richard call out to her from the bedroom. Defendant went to
the bedroom and saw that Richard had fallen out of bed and was on the hardwood floor.
Defendant tried to help Richard, who was skinny but over six feet tall, stand up. She could not
do it. While she was attempting to help Richard, Eileen called out to her. Eileen had soiled
herself while sitting on the couch, so defendant left Richard and tended to Eileen. Defendant
testified that this took around one hour.
¶9 At around 10:30 or 11 a.m., defendant called Jensen, who she knew was away for the
weekend. Jensen did not answer the phone, and according to Jensen, defendant did not leave a
voicemail. Defendant asserted that she did leave a voicemail for Jensen. Although defendant
testified that she tried to call Jensen numerous times, Jensen stated that defendant called her only
once. Defendant also tried to contact Roxas, but she, too, was unavailable, and defendant did not
leave her a voicemail. Defendant acknowledged that Roxas was far away from the Browns’
home.
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¶ 10 At 1:30 p.m., Jensen saw that defendant had called her earlier. She called defendant, and
defendant told her that Richard was on the floor. Defendant did not tell Jensen how long Richard
had been on the floor or if Richard was injured. Defendant told Jensen that she called Roxas and
that she tried to get Richard up but could not do so, as she was too little. Jensen testified that she
told defendant to call Chris, who would be home soon and could help her. Defendant testified
that Jensen told her that she should wait for Chris, and she did not recall Jensen telling her to call
Chris. Defendant stated that she checked on Richard a number of times throughout the day and
that he was fine.
¶ 11 When Chris returned home at around 3:30 p.m., he received a phone call from defendant.
Defendant asked him to come over to the Browns’ apartment, but she did not say why. Chris
immediately went over to the home, and defendant told him that Richard had fallen. Chris went
into the bedroom and saw Richard on the floor. Chris elaborated that Richard was on his hands
and knees, with all of his weight on his legs, and that “it was obvious [Richard] couldn’t get up
on his own.” Chris helped Richard get into a chair, Richard told Chris that he was tired, and
Chris helped Richard get into bed. In doing so, Chris cleaned up blood from abrasions he
noticed on Richard’s ankles. Chris testified that defendant tried to help him move Richard, told
Chris that she had given Richard cookies and a glass of water, and said that Richard had been on
the floor for “[j]ust a little while.” Nothing defendant told Chris in her “[l]imited” account of
what had happened raised Chris’s concerns.
¶ 12 When Katherine returned home from work at about 5:30 or 6 p.m., Chris told her that
Richard had fallen out of bed. Katherine went to the Browns’ apartment and saw that Richard
was in bed. Richard did not tell Katherine anything about falling out of bed. When asked how
he felt, he responded that he was tired. Katherine spoke to defendant, and defendant did not
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describe how Richard fell out of bed or what she did after he fell. Defendant told Katherine that
Richard remained on the floor for “[a] little while.”
¶ 13 The next morning, May 16, 2009, the Landgraffs went to the Browns’ apartment and
spoke to Richard. He again said that he was tired. Katherine and Chris changed Richard and
noticed that his knees and shins were banged up quite a bit. Katherine phoned Dan, as Katherine
and Chris believed that Richard “just wasn’t right.”
¶ 14 When Dan arrived, he tried to help Richard out of bed. Richard screamed that it hurt, so
the family decided to call an ambulance. When the paramedics arrived, Richard could not get
out of bed and onto the gurney, as he was in great pain. David Triplett, one of the paramedics,
described Richard’s pain as “obvious.” He noticed that Richard’s legs were bruised and he had
abrasions on his arms and legs.
¶ 15 In the emergency room, Dr. Aren Jimenez examined Richard. Jimenez noticed that
Richard had a number of bruises on his forearms and abrasions on his knees. After running
various tests, Jimenez diagnosed Richard as having rhabdomyolysis, which can result from the
release of protein into the blood due to the failure to move one’s muscles. Dr. Azra Ali, who
also examined Richard, observed that Richard had fresh bruises on his legs, which were
consistent with having fallen out of bed. Ali confirmed that Richard was suffering from
rhabdomyolysis. Dr. Mitchell Scott King, an expert retained by the State, agreed with the
diagnosis and opined that Richard was on the ground for at least 2 hours but more likely 4½
hours. King theorized that Richard’s health deteriorated because he was on the floor for so long.
¶ 16 Later in the evening of May 16, 2009, defendant told Chris that Richard had been on the
floor for 1 to 1½ hours. Defendant then said that Richard was on the floor for two hours.
Defendant later told Katherine that Richard had been on the floor since noon.
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¶ 17 Based on this evidence, the jury found defendant guilty, and defendant filed a posttrial
motion, arguing that she was not proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. The court denied the
motion, finding that there was enough evidence for a reasonable jury to find defendant guilty
beyond a reasonable doubt. This timely appeal followed.
¶ 18 II. ANALYSIS
¶ 19 On appeal, defendant argues that she was not proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of
criminal neglect of an elderly person. To prove defendant guilty of that offense as charged here,
the State had to establish that (1) defendant knowingly failed to call for assistance when she
knew or reasonably should have known that this was necessary to maintain Richard’s health and
(2) such failure caused Richard’s health to suffer. See 720 ILCS 5/12-21(a)(2) (West 2008).
However, liability may not be imposed on a defendant “who has made a good[-]faith effort to
provide for the health and personal care of an elderly person *** but through no fault of h[er]
own has been unable to provide such care.” Id. § 12-21(d).
¶ 20 When reviewing whether the State presented sufficient evidence to sustain a conviction,
we must decide whether, viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the State, a rational
trier of fact could have found the elements of the offense beyond a reasonable doubt. People v.
Cunningham, 212 Ill. 2d 274, 278 (2004). A reviewing court will not retry a defendant (id. at
279), and it will greatly defer to the credibility determinations of the trier of fact (People v. Ortiz,
196 Ill. 2d 236, 259 (2001)). A guilty finding may be supported not only by the evidence but
also by any reasonable inferences that may be drawn from the evidence. Cunningham, 212 Ill.
2d at 279-80.
¶ 21 Defendant claims that the State failed to establish beyond a reasonable doubt that (1) she
knowingly failed to call for assistance when she knew or reasonably should have known that
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doing so was necessary to maintain Richard’s health and (2) she did not make a “good[-]faith
effort” to care for Richard. 720 ILCS 5/12-21(a)(2), (d) (West 2008). We consider each
contention in turn.
¶ 22 A. Mental State
¶ 23 We first consider whether defendant knowingly failed to call for assistance when she
knew or reasonably should have known that doing so was necessary to maintain Richard’s
health. Id. § 12-21(a)(2). A defendant acts with “knowledge” when she is “consciously aware”
that her conduct is “practically certain” to cause the result. Id. § 4-5(b). Whether a defendant
acted with knowledge is a question of fact. See People v. Schmalz, 194 Ill. 2d 75, 81 (2000).
¶ 24 Knowledge is usually proved by circumstantial, rather than direct, evidence. Ortiz, 196
Ill. 2d at 260. Thus, knowledge may be established by evidence of the defendant’s acts,
statements, or conduct, as well as the surrounding circumstances, that supports a reasonable
inference that the defendant was consciously aware that the result was practically certain to be
caused. See People v. Fleming, 2013 IL App (1st) 120386, ¶ 75; People v. Herr, 87 Ill. App. 3d
819, 822 (1980).
¶ 25 Knowledge is different from what a defendant “should have known.” People v. Nash,
282 Ill. App. 3d 982, 986 (1996). “ ‘[S]hould have known’ implicates ‘the standard of care
which a reasonable person would exercise’ and therefore pertains to the lesser mental states of
‘recklessness’ and ‘negligence.’ ” Id. (quoting 720 ILCS 5/4-6, 4-7 (West 1992)). A person acts
recklessly when she consciously disregards a substantial risk that a result will occur. 720 ILCS
5/4-6 (West 2008). A person acts negligently when she fails to be aware of a substantial risk
that a result will occur. Id. § 4-7.
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¶ 26 With the above principles in mind, we turn to the facts presented here. Viewed in the
light most favorable to the State, the evidence revealed that Richard, an 85-year-old man with
many health issues, fell out of bed and onto a hardwood floor. He remained on the floor for
approximately 4½ hours. During that time, defendant, who had taken premed courses and who
described herself as an “experienced caregiver,” made only two phone calls, despite the fact that
a detailed list of contact numbers was left in the Browns’ home. The two people defendant
called were Roxas, her employer, and Jensen, the regular caregiver. Neither answered when
defendant called, defendant left no voicemail for either, and defendant acknowledged that neither
would have been be able to provide immediate assistance. Several hours after defendant called
Jensen, Jensen returned defendant’s call. Although Jensen told defendant during that call that
Chris would be home soon, she also told defendant to call Chris. Defendant did not promptly
call Chris, 911, or anyone else who could help her with Richard. Although defendant fed
Richard, gave him water, and checked on him, a rational jury could find that defendant
knowingly failed to call for immediate assistance when she knew or reasonably should have
known that calling for immediate assistance was necessary to maintain Richard’s health.
¶ 27 Defendant argues that the State failed to meet its burden because it did not “show how
[defendant] would have known that despite her efforts to care for Richard, his immobility was
‘practically certain’ to cause a condition that has no physical manifestations and can only be
diagnosed through laboratory tests.” Defendant’s argument assumes too much. As the State
notes, the statute does not require that the caregiver know the type of affliction that could
manifest itself because of the caregiver’s inaction. Rather, the statute requires only that the
caregiver act as necessary to maintain the elderly person’s health. Id. § 12-21(a)(2). Given that
defendant attempted to move Richard, continually checked on him, and made two phone calls
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about what to do, it was reasonable to infer that she knew (or reasonably should have known)
that leaving Richard on the floor for several hours would not maintain his health.
¶ 28 Also unavailing is defendant’s claim that she cannot be held liable when no one else was
concerned enough about Richard to call 911. Only defendant’s conduct is at issue here. In any
event, defendant gave Jensen, Chris, and Katherine only a “[l]imited” version of what had
happened and kept changing her account of how long Richard had remained on the floor,
lengthening that time as the weekend went on. A rational jury could have determined that this
showed defendant’s consciousness of guilt, which supports our holding that defendant was
proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. See People v. Seiber, 76 Ill. App. 3d 9, 13-14 (1979).
¶ 29 B. Good-Faith Effort
¶ 30 Defendant also argues that the State failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that she
did not act in good faith in attempting to care for Richard. The statute provides:
“Nothing in this Section shall be construed to impose criminal liability on a person who
has made a good[-]faith effort to provide for the health and personal care of an elderly
person *** but through no fault of h[er] own has been unable to provide such care.” 720
ILCS 5/12-21(d) (West 2008).
¶ 31 In construing this provision, we are guided by the well-settled rules of statutory
construction. The primary objective in construing a statute is to ascertain and give effect to the
legislature’s intent. People v. Martino, 2012 IL App (2d) 101244, ¶ 25. The surest and most
reliable indicator of that intent is the statutory language. Id. We must construe the statute as a
whole, giving the language its plain and ordinary meaning. Id. When the language is clear and
unambiguous, we must apply the statute without resorting to any extrinsic aids of construction.
Id. We review the construction of a statute de novo. People v. Manning, 2018 IL 122081, ¶ 16.
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¶ 32 Two issues arise when construing this provision. First, the statute does not indicate who
has the burden of proving the exemption. As defendant notes, “[w]here a criminal statute
contains an exemption and the legislature has not set forth a provision within the statute
allocating the burden of persuasion as to the exemption, we presume that the burden is on the
State, not the defendant.” People v. Cannon, 2015 IL App (3d) 130672, ¶ 21. Here, the State
concedes that it had the burden of proving a lack of good faith.
¶ 33 Second, the statute does not define “good faith,” so we may use a dictionary. People v.
Beachem, 229 Ill. 2d 237, 244-45 (2008); see also People v. Kucharski, 2013 IL App (2d)
120270, ¶ 41. “Good faith” means “honesty” (Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary 502
(10th ed. 2000)) or “a state of mind consisting in *** faithfulness to one’s duty or obligation”
(Black’s Law Dictionary 808 (10th ed. 2014)). Thus, the statute required the State to prove that
defendant did not make an honest and faithful effort to provide for Richard’s health. Viewing
the evidence in the light most favorable to the State, we hold that the State met its burden.
¶ 34 The evidence established that defendant was an “experienced caregiver.” After Richard
fell onto the floor, she tried to get him up, but she was unable to move him. She then made only
two phone calls, to people who she knew could not provide immediate assistance. Hours later,
she received a call from Jensen, who told her to call Chris. Defendant did not make that call
until Chris returned home, and she told him that Richard had been on the floor for “[j]ust a little
while.” Although defendant checked on Richard and gave him food and water, the jury could
find that this was insufficient to constitute a good-faith effort to care for Richard, an elderly man
with many ailments who was stranded on a hardwood floor for several hours.
¶ 35 Defendant argues that the State failed to meet its burden because “she honestly did the
best she could under the circumstances.” Supporting her position, defendant notes that she, too,
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was elderly, was much smaller than Richard, and also had to care for Eileen. We believe that
such evidence actually strengthens the conclusion that defendant did not act in good faith. That
is, given that defendant clearly could not provide Richard with needed care, an honest and
faithful effort required her to seek immediate help from someone else.
¶ 36 We also find unpersuasive defendant’s contention that the State failed to establish that
she acted with “malice.” We do not find that an absence of “good faith” requires the presence of
malice. Rather, as noted above, it is merely the absence of an honest and faithful effort to
provide needed care.
¶ 37 III. CONCLUSION
¶ 38 For the reasons stated, we affirm the judgment of the circuit court of Boone County. As
part of our judgment, we grant the State’s request that defendant be assessed $50 as costs for this
appeal. 55 ILCS 5/4-2002(a) (West 2016); see also People v. Nicholls, 71 Ill. 2d 166, 178
(1978).
¶ 39 Affirmed.
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