Eighth Amendment — life sentences for minors

Posted August 30, 2019 2:01 PM

Where the defendant is a minor who has received a prison sentence of more than 40 years, such a sentence is a de facto life sentence even if it may be reduced under 40 years with day-for-day credit.The 1st District Appellate Court reversed and remanded a decision from Cook County Circuit Judge Frank G. Zelezinski.Taki Peacock was arrested for the armed robbery, aggravated vehicular hijacking, aggravated kidnapping and first-degree murder of Rufus Taylor.At the time of the crime in 1995, Peacock was 17 years old. Peacock …

To Read the Full Story

Your source for legal news and information

Print & Digital Access

Stay in the know all year long with these benefits:

Delivery to your office in downtown Chicago or mailed outside our hand-delivery zone.
Unlimited access to chicagolawbulletin.com.
Access to our e-edition and mobile site.
Breaking news alerts, Morning Lineup and Afternoon Headlines.
Exclusive access to events, discounts and more.

Order now, or call 312-644-2394 or email Subscription@LawBulletinMedia.com for details.

Be in the know. These must-read insider briefings will keep you

informed of the latest legal developments in Chicago. Sign up today!

Criminal procedure — denial of sentencing credit

Where defendant petitions seeking sentencing credit and the petition is denied, the denial is not a final or appealable order and the appellate court lacks jurisdiction to consider it.
Family law — dissolution of marriage proceedings

Where a party in an ongoing dissolution of marriage proceedings is ordered to pay attorney fees for a related probate proceeding, that order is not final and appealable.
Sentencing — conspiracy

Where government could prove defendant joined smaller conspiracy than what was alleged in the indictment, conviction was affirmed.
Criminal law — void ab initio conviction

Where defendant pleads guilty due to the threat of being impeached by a prior conviction later found void ab initio and is sentenced based on the same conviction, he has suffered a constitutional violation.
Family law — adult disabled child support

Where a parent petitions for adult disabled child support, it may do so after the child has reached the age of majority if the child is not emancipated and the disability arose as a minor.
Civil procedure — remand

Where plaintiffs’ complaint contained one claim and multiple legal theories, defendants could not justify remand on the basis that one legal theory alleged violation of federal law.
Civil procedure — mootness

Where a petition for involuntary treatment is granted the petition may be reviewed even after the treatment has ended if it may recur or there is a public interest in settling the issue.
Civil procedure — standing

Where plaintiffs alleged economic harm based on theoretical risk of injury from potentially contaminated infant formula, theory was not sufficient to confer Article III standing.