People v. Dorsey

Illinois Supreme Court
Criminal Court
Juvenile Sentencing
Citation
Case Number: 
2021 IL 123010
Decision Date: 
Thursday, July 29, 2021
District: 
1st Dist.
Division/County: 
Cook Co.
Holding: 
Appellate court affirmed.
Justice: 
M. BURKE

Defendant, age 14 at time of shooting, was convicted, after jury trial, of 1 count of 1st degree murder and 2 counts of attempted 1st degree murder and sentenced to a 76-year aggregate term. Good-conduct credit is relevant to the determination of what constitutes a de facto life sentence for a juvenile offender. A sentence imposed pursuant to a statutory scheme that affords a juvenile an opport5unity to be released after 40 years or less of the term imposed is not a de facto life sentence.(A. BURKE, GARMAN, THEIS, OVERSTREET, and CARTER, concurring; NEVILLE, dissenting.)