Illinois Appellate Court
Criminal Court
Sentencing
(Court opinion corrected 10/14/20.) Defendant, age 19 at time of offenses, was convicted, after bench trial, of residential burglary of a 69-year old woman and then murdering her, and was sentenced to 55 years for murder, to be served with a 15-year concurrent term for residential burglary. Court properly denied Defendant leave to file successive postconviction petition. Defendant did not establish prejudice as he was an adult at the time he committed and acted as the principal in committing the offenses. Court considered relevant factors as to his youth and its attendant characteristics. Sentence did not violate proportionate penalties clause. (FITZGERALD SMITH and PUCINSKI, concurring.)