Illinois Appellate Court
Criminal Court
Sentencing
Defendant, age 18 at time of offense, was convicted of murder on a theory of accountability; he was an active participant, along with co-defendant, in plan to shoot rival gang members. Court imposed discretionary sentence of 50 years, taking into account mitigating factors such as Defendant's youth, background, and potential for rehabilitation. Court properly denied Defendant leave to file successive postconviction petition as he did not satisfy cause and prejudice test. (CONNORS, concurring; MIKVA, dissenting.)