People v. Martinez

Matt Martinez (defendant) was convicted of unlawful use of a weapon in a bench trial held on August 31, 1995. Defendant appeals his conviction, arguing that his possession of an inoperable stun gun or taser was not culpable conduct under section 24 — 1(a)(4) of the Criminal Code of 1961. 720 ILCS 5/24 — 1(a)(4) (West 1994). For the reasons that follow, we affirm.

On January 12, 1995, defendant, a 28-year-old cab driver, walked through a metal detector stationed inside Chicago police headquarters at 1121 South State Street while carrying a stun gun in his fanny pack. Deputy sheriff Daniel…