Illinois Appellate Court
Criminal Court
Conflict of Interest
(Court opinion corrected 5/22/14.) Defendant was convicted of solicitation of murder for hire. Court properly dismissed Defendant's postconviction petition as frivolous and patently without merit. Court had no duty to inquire into potential conflict of defense counsel, but did so, with detailed inquiry, and found that defense counsel had not consulted with former prosecutor in PD's office, and that PD's office was structured so that this attorney was insulated from all cases that existed when he was with prosecutor's office. (HOLDRIDGE, specially concurring; WRIGHT, concurring in part and dissenting in part.)