People v. Carpenter

PRESIDING JUSTICE WOLFSON

delivered the opinion of the court:

Most of us, at some point in our lives, will create a secret hiding place for items we wish to protect against intrusion by others. But when the owner or driver of a vehicle intends to conceal the hiding place from the police, or to conceal something in it from the police, he runs afoul of a criminal statute. The important question in this case is whether the statute offends the due process provisions of the United States and Illinois Constitutions. We hold the statute is unconstitutional and we reverse the defendant’s conviction.

Foll…