Defendant was convicted by a jury of being an armed habitual criminal and sentenced to 12 years. Defendant appealed, arguing that the State failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he had the requisite predicate adult convictions necessary to sustain his conviction where he was only 17 years old when the predicate offenses were committed, that the trial court erred by permitting the State to introduce course-of-investigation testimony regarding a nearby shooting, and that defendant’s 12-year sentence was excessive. The appellate court reduced defendant’s armed habitual criminal conviction to the lesser included offense of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and remanded for resentencing. (MIKVA, concurring and MITCHELL, dissenting)
Illinois Appellate Court
Criminal Court
Sentencing