Illinois Appellate Court
Criminal Court
Post-Conviction Hearing Act
Defendant pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in exchange for a sentence of natural life in prison and later sought leave to file a successive post-conviction petition raising a claim of actual innocence. Defendant submitted the affidavits of four witnesses in support of the petition. The trial court concluded that none of the witnesses qualified as newly discovered evidence capable of supporting a claim of actual innocence and denied the motion for leave to file the successive post-conviction petition. The appellate court disagreed, reversed the trial court, and remanded for second-stage proceedings. (ODEN JOHNSON and NAVARRO, concurring)