People v. Allen

Following a jury trial, the defendant, Linda Allen, was found guilty of criminal trespass to property resulting from her participation in an antinuclear demonstration at Commonwealth Edison's La Salle County Nuclear Station. The court sentenced the defendant to a seven-day term of imprisonment as a condition of one year's probation and a $200 fine plus costs. On appeal, the defendant argues that the court improperly sentenced her to a term of imprisonment. We affirm. The defendant contends that at the sentencing hearing, the trial court improperly considered certain evidence as aggravating factors. In particular, the State was permitted to show that the actions of the defendant and her companions cost Commonwealth Edison several thousand dollars in overtime wages and resulted in substantial inconvenience to several hundred employees who were unable to leave because the demonstrators had blocked the roads to the plant.