Opinion ID: 3134662
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 10

Heading: Disclosure of Aggravating Evidence

Text: Defendant filed a bill of particulars as well as a motion to compel the prosecution to disclose nonstatutory aggravating factors. The trial court denied the motion. Defendant maintains that the death sentencing hearing is a critical stage of trial, and he needed notice and time to prepare a response to the nonstatutory aggravating factors the State intended to introduce. He assigns error to the trial court’s denial of his motion to compel. Trial counsel did not raise this issue in a post-trial motion. Appellate counsel did not raise this issue on direct appeal or argue that trial counsel was ineffective. In his amended petition, defendant has not alleged that appellate counsel was ineffective in this respect. As noted above, issues that could have been presented on direct appeal but were not are waived in subsequent proceedings. Evans , 186 Ill. 2d at 89. Thus, we conclude that this issue is procedurally barred.