Opinion ID: 2003518
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: Constitutionally Infirm Jury Instructions at Sentencing

Text: Citing People ex rel. Free v. Peters (N.D.Ill.1992), 806 F.Supp. 705, defendant argues that the instructions to the jury at sentencing result in the arbitrary and unguided imposition of the death penalty in violation of the eighth and fourteenth amendments to the United States Constitution (U.S. Const., amends. VIII, XIV). As defendant acknowledges, the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit reversed the district court decision in Free, concluding that the jury instructions are not constitutionally infirm. ( Free v. Peters (7th Cir. 1993), 12 F.3d 700.) This court has previously endorsed the Seventh Circuit's reasoning on this question. ( People v. Franklin (1995), 167 Ill.2d 1, 29, 212 Ill.Dec. 153, 656 N.E.2d 750; People v. Kokoraleis (1994), 159 Ill.2d 325, 333-34, 202 Ill.Dec. 279, 637 N.E.2d 1015; see also People v. Thomas (1995), 164 Ill.2d 410, 432, 207 Ill.Dec. 490, 647 N.E.2d 983.) While defendant urges us to reconsider the question, we see no persuasive reason to depart from our holdings. The circuit court properly dismissed defendant's post-conviction claims alleging unconstitutional jury instructions at sentencing.