Illinois Supreme Court
Criminal Court
Postconviction Petitions
Where a defendant makes a claim of trial error, and an actual-innocence claim in a successive postconviction petition, the claim of trial error must meet the cause-and-prejudice standard, and the actual- innocence claim must meet the substantive standard of compelling evidence, as set forth in the Washington decision. To succeed on an actual-innocence claim, the defendant must present new, material, noncumulative evidence that is so conclusive it would probably change the result on retrial.
(KILBRIDE, FREEMAN, THOMAS, GARMAN, KARMEIER, and BURKE, concurring).