Defendant was convicted of disorderly conduct for knowingly making a false complaint to a public safety agency and appealed, arguing that the State failed to prove him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. The appellate court reversed, explaining that a conviction under section 26-1(a)(6) of the Code of Criminal Procedure requires both that the defendant knowingly transmitted or caused to be transmitted information to a public safety agency and that the defendant knew the transmission could lead to an emergency response, and that under the facts of the case, it could not be determined that defendant was consciously aware that it was “practically certain” that his call to a co-worker regarding the presence of armed individuals would result in someone called a public safety agency. (JORGENSEN and KENNEDY, concurring)
Illinois Appellate Court
Criminal Court
Burden of Proof