Opinion ID: 3134496
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Reliability of Evidence of Defendant's Burglary of

Text: Vincent Rowe's Home Defendant next argues that evidence relating to defendant's alleged burglary of Vincent Rowe's home should not have been admitted. Defendant argues that the evidence of the burglary was unreliable because of Vincent Rowe's eventual refusal to prosecute the case. The same evidence was offered at defendant's first sentencing hearing, and defendant raised the same issue in his appeal of that first sentence. We held that hearsay evidence of crimes which did not result in prosecution or conviction is admissible at the aggravation/mitigation phase of a capital sentencing hearing if the evidence is relevant and reliable, and that this evaluation of relevance and reliability is left largely to the sentencing judge. Jackson , 145 Ill. 2d at 115. Applying these principles, we found that the sentencing judge at the first sentencing hearing did not abuse his discretion in allowing that evidence. Jackson , 145 Ill. 2d at 116. We now reach the same conclusion with regard to the sentencing judge's admission of the evidence at the second sentencing hearing. There was substantial evidence that defendant committed the burglary. The fact that the case was not prosecuted was admitted because it also is relevant. However, the mere fact that defendant's cousin refused to prosecute the case does not render all other evidence of his guilt unreliable. Therefore, we again find that the judge acted within his discretion in admitting the evidence.