Refusal to Give Information to Booking Police Officer After Arrest

In People v. Weathington, 82 Ill. 2d 183, 411 N.E.2d 862, 44 Ill. Dec. 496 (1980), the defendant refused to give information to the police officer booking him after he was arrested for aggravated battery, but he agreed to provide the information after he was placed in a holding cell for several minutes. Weathington, 82 Ill. 2d at 185. The supreme court held that where the defendant had merely argued with the officer as to when he would answer the booking questions and had then, after a brief amount of time, answered the questions, no violation of section 31--1 had occurred. Weathington, 82 Ill. 2d at 187. Specifically, the supreme court stated that because it decided that "the defendant engaged in mere argument with the officer, it need not decide whether an activity falling between mere argument and a physical act could constitute a violation of section 31--1." Weathington, 82 Ill. 2d at 187.