Supreme Court of Illinois

Great doubt does not exist as to whether defendant knowingly pleaded guilty, notwithstanding counsel's mistaken belief regarding the availability of a bench trial during the guilt phase of the trial; defendant entered into the plea in order to use his admission of guilt to gain leniency from the sentencing jury.

Appellate Information

• Decided 06/19/2003
• Published 09/04/2003

Judges

• Justice FREEMAN delivered the opinion of the court:

Court

• Supreme Court of Illinois

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• Charles M. Schiedel, Deputy Defender, John J. Hanlon, Assistant Defender, Springfield, and Anna Ahronheim, Chicago, all of the Office of the State Appellate Defender, and David J. Bradford and Christine A. Hill, of Jenner & Block, L.L.C., Chicago, for appellant., James E. Ryan, Attorney General, Springfield, and Marc P. Bernabei, State's Attorney, Princeton (Barbara A. Preiner and Joel D. Bertocchi, Solicitors General, and William L. Browers and Lisa Anne Hoffman, Assistant Attorneys General, Chicago, of counsel), for the People., Lawrence C. Marshall and Karen L. Daniel, Chicago, for amici curiae 44 Concerned Illinois Attorneys & Law Professors., Locke E. Bowman and Jean Maclean Snyder, Chicago, for amici curiae Leaders of the Religious Community., J. Timothy Eaton, Dennis A. Rendleman, Mary T. McDermott and Selina S. Thomas, Springfield, for amicus curiae Illinois State Bar Association.