Opinion ID: 2087965
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: issues

Text: On appeal, defendant raises only one challenge to his conviction. Defendant argues that his guilty pleas should be vacated because the trial court's admonishments were defective and therefore his pleas were not knowingly entered. Specifically, defendant argues that the trial court's admonishments were defective for three reasons. First, the trial court failed to adequately inform him that natural life imprisonment is the mandatory minimum sentence that could be imposed. Second, the trial court failed to inform defendant that he could elect bench sentencing. Third, the trial court failed to inform defendant that a new jury could have been empaneled for sentencing. Defendant also argues that a new sentencing hearing is required because: (1) his sixth amendment right to counsel was violated by the introduction of his confession to two burglaries at the aggravation phase of sentencing; (2) the trial court erred in denying his motion to secure several out-of-state mitigation witnesses; (3) his trial attorneys were ineffective for failing to introduce at sentencing his January 24, 1992, statement in which he denied killing Muto; (4) the trial court erred in denying his motion for appointment of a particular mitigation specialist; and (5) his death sentence is unreasonably disparate from the 40-year term of imprisonment imposed on Booth, his 14-year-old accomplice. Defendant also raises two general constitutional challenges to the Illinois death penalty statute: (1) that the death penalty statute violates the eighth and fourteenth amendments because it places a burden of proof on the defendant which precludes meaningful consideration of mitigation; and (2) that the death penalty statute violates the eighth and fourteenth amendments because it does not sufficiently minimize the risk of arbitrary and capriciously imposed death sentences.