People v. Johnson

Following a bench trial in the circuit court of Cook County, the defendant, Charles Stanley Johnson, was convicted of murder and armed violence, and was sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment. The appellate court reversed, holding that the trial court erred in denying defendant’s motion to quash his arrest and suppress evidence. (103 Ill. App. 3d 734.) We allowed the State’s petition for leave to appeal.

This appeal requires determination of only one question. Did the police have probable cause to arrest defendant?

The body of the victim, Albert Owens, was found on October 8, 1979, in the vicinity…