This is the June 2017 Illinois criminal case law audio round-up (the fast case law summary). Episode 358 (Duration 35:13)
The June 2017 Top Illinois Criminal Law Cases (The Monthly Round-Up)
Here’s a quick snapshot of the top cases:
Prosecutors cannot create their own separate police force.
Supreme Court explains how plain error analysis works.
Zehr principles are royal screwed up leading to a reversal under plain error.
Joinder prevents the attorney general from charging on old search warrant counts.
Defendant says his attorneys had a conflict because they went with self defense rather than actual innocence.
Turns out all three of defendant’s attorneys had a relationship with the jailhouse informant who testified against defendant.
This attorney inadequately argued her own ineffectiveness.
Defendant was sentenced to death even though his attorney was asking for help and more time to make sense of the complicated mental health records.
9. Packingham v. North Carolina
Can’t have a sweeping law keeping sex offenders off of Facebook and other social media.
10. People v. Kent
Admitting this Facebook post leads to murder conviction reversal.
Right to public trial is a structural right, but it really matters when the issue is brought up.
Illogical verdicts won’t always require reversal.
DOJ’s report on CPD use of force cited in an appeal for the first time in a case featuring a mentally ill defendant.
14. People v. Martin
Constitutional violation depended on whether the 2 story flat was more like a single family home or an apartment building.
Constitutional violation did not depend on whether the common door to the apartment was locked.
16. People v. Church
Defendant used facebook and text message to help a lady get drugs; she ends up overdosing.
17. In re Dustyn
Delinquent minor is forbidden from entering a college campus.
If you want to rely on an affirmative defense you got to claim an affirmative defense.
19. People v. Dalton
Defendant was charged with additional sex crimes more than 120 days after his first two original counts were charged.
20. People v. Crosby
This is why defendants like keeping their case open and in the system as long as possible.
21. People v. Evans
After the proofs were in the Judge asked about a wallet that had been mentioned in the testimony but not admitted by the State, so the judge continued the case to see the wallet.
22. People v. Martin
A little police opinion testimony was not a problem.
Mandamus awarded to force trial court to sentence defendant as a class X offender.