Opinion ID: 2148855
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 10

Heading: Eligibility Determination

Text: The defendant's first claim of error with regard to sentencing is directed at the trial court's finding that he was eligible for the death penalty. As noted, the defendant was found eligible based on two statutory eligibility factors: (1) that the defendant intentionally killed Dr. Sullivan in the course of committing a burglary (720 ILCS 5/9-1(b)(6) (West 1992)), and (2) that the defendant committed the murder in a cold, calculated and premeditated manner pursuant to a preconceived plan (720 ILCS 5/9-1(b)(11) (West 1992)). The defendant does not challenge the sufficiency of the evidence to support a finding of death eligibility. Rather, the defendant contends that the eligibility finding must be reversed because it was made summarily by the trial court without a hearing on the issue. The record supports the defendant's factual assertions in this regard. According to the record, immediately after the trial court issued its guilty verdict at trial, the court went on to find the defendant eligible for the death penalty without hearing any additional evidence or argument. Later in the proceeding, the State informed the court that it was prepared to proceed with the eligibility hearing and the trial judge responded that he would not hold such a hearing because he had already found the defendant eligible. The State subsequently requested that the trial court inquire of the defendant whether he wished to present any evidence on eligibility. The trial court refused, stating: THE COURT: No. Doesn't need to be. I found as a matter of law that he is eligible. So, whatever he says is not going to have any consequence because the law says he's eligible. After reviewing these comments and others made by the trial court, we conclude that the trial court did, as the defendant here claims, dispense with a hearing on eligibility and make a summary finding of eligibility. This conduct by the trial court was clearly in violation of our death penalty statute. The death penalty statute expressly requires that a separate sentencing hearing be conducted for the dual purposes of determin[ing] the existence of factors set forth in subsection (b) [eligibility factors] and considering] any aggravating or mitigating factors. 720 ILCS 5/9-1(d) (West 1992); People v. Brown, 169 Ill.2d 132, 155-56, 214 Ill.Dec. 433, 661 N.E.2d 287 (1996). The statute provides that, at the sentencing hearing, any information relevant to any of the factors set forth in subsection (b) [eligibility factors] may be presented by either the State or the defendant under the rules governing the admission of evidence at criminal trials, and [t]he State and the defendant shall be given fair opportunity to rebut any information received at the hearing. 720 ILCS 5/9-1(e) (West 1992). The trial court thus clearly erred in making the eligibility determination without providing the defendant the opportunity, at a separate sentencing hearing, to offer evidence on the issue and rebut that of the State. Our review of the record further reveals, however, that at no time prior to or during the sentencing proceedings did the defendant demand a hearing on eligibility, request that he be permitted to present evidence on the issue, or otherwise object to the trial court's handling of the issue. Thus, we are compelled to find that the defendant acquiesced in the summary procedure employed by the trial court, and thereby waived this claim of error for review. People v. Enoch, 122 Ill.2d 176, 186, 119 Ill.Dec. 265, 522 N.E.2d 1124 (1988). The fact that the defendant was proceeding pro se does not excuse his failure to preserve an error for review. People v. Long, 39 Ill.2d 40, 43, 233 N.E.2d 389 (1968). This is particularly true here, where the defendant was provided with standby counsel who were available to assist him. Long, 39 Ill.2d at 43, 233 N.E.2d 389. Moreover, the defendant has not demonstrated that he was prejudiced by the trial court's actions. As discussed later in this opinion, the evidence supporting the defendant's eligibility, at least under the factor set forth in section 9-1(b)(11) of the Criminal Code of 1961 (720 ILCS 5/9-1(b)(11) (West 1992)), was nothing short of overwhelming. Moreover, the circumstances of this case are unique, in terms of the potential for prejudice to the defendant. We cannot view this error in a vacuum; rather, we must look at the record as a whole to determine if reversal is required. The defendant represented himself throughout the trial and sentencing proceedings. In the course of that representation, the defendant chose to present no evidence to challenge either his guilt or the death penalty, save for his own inflammatory comments in which he admitted his guilt and espoused his racist philosophy. The evidence at trial, in particular the defendant's own detailed confessions, overwhelmingly established the defendant's guilt of the charged crimes, and also overwhelmingly established his eligibility for the death penalty. The same judge who acted as the fact finder at the defendant's trial took into account all of this evidence and found that the defendant was eligible for the death penalty. A hearing on aggravation and mitigation was held, at which hearing the defendant had every opportunity to present evidence or argument in opposition to a death sentence. The defendant presented no evidence other than his own brief statement in which he again condemned fake Aryan cosmetics. After the aggravation-mitigation hearing, the trial judge reiterated the eligibility finding in his sentencing order. In addition, as noted above, the defendant made no objection to the manner in which the eligibility finding was made. The dissent speculates that the defendant's failure to object should be excused because objection would have been futile. If speculation is to be considered, however, it may also be speculated that the defendant's lack of objection was simply consistent with his strategy throughout the proceedings. The defendant does not now suggest what argument or evidence could have been presented in opposition to eligibility. Thus, we find no circumstances which require reversal of the defendant's sentence in this case, particularly in light of the defendant's waiver. We note that this court recently held that reversal of a defendant's death sentence was not warranted where defense counsel failed to mount any challenge to the defendant's eligibility, because the evidence supporting the defendant's eligibility was overwhelming. People v. Shatner, 174 Ill.2d 133, 220 Ill.Dec. 346, 673 N.E.2d 258 (1996). We emphasize, however, that we do not condone the procedure employed here of summarily deciding a defendant's eligibility for the death penalty. The evidence presented at a defendant's culpability trial is properly considered in making the eligibility determination. However, a trial court may not simply combine the eligibility determination with the culpability trial. Not only does the statute provide otherwise, fairness militates against such a procedure. The issues to be decided at the culpability trial differ from those to be decided for death eligibility. Not all those convicted of murder may be found eligible for the death penalty, and the requirement of a statutory eligibility factor fulfills the constitutional requirement of `narrow[ing] the class of persons eligible for the death penalty and    reasonably justify[ing] the imposition of a more severe sentence on the defendant compared to others found guilty of murder.' People v. Hope, 168 Ill.2d 1, 36, 212 Ill.Dec. 909, 658 N.E.2d 391 (1995), quoting Zant v. Stephens, 462 U.S. 862, 877, 103 S.Ct. 2733, 2742, 77 L.Ed.2d 235, 249-50 (1983). The culpability trial focuses only on whether the defendant is guilty of murder, not on the further consideration of whether he is also eligible for the death penalty. Under this scheme, a defendant cannot be expected to defend against both a guilty verdict and a finding of eligibility at the culpability trial. The dissent strenuously urges that reversal of the defendant's sentence is warranted on this ground. The basis for the dissent's belief that this error requires reversal in this case is less than clear. The bulk of the dissent's argument sets forth reasons why the trial court's actions were in error. As we have stated, we are in agreement with the dissent that the requirements of the death penalty statute were violated when the trial court summarily determined eligibility. We, along with the dissent, strongly condemn the trial court's actions in failing to adhere to the mandated statutory procedures. The dissent would hold that reversal of the defendant's sentence is required as a result of this error. Notably lacking in the dissent, however, is any explanation of how, given the unique circumstances in this case, the defendant was prejudiced by the trial court's actions. Our holding here is predicated on the unique facts of this case, and we do not suggest that the procedure employed would not result in reversal in another case. Parenthetically, we are compelled to point out that the dissent, in discussing People v. Brown, 169 Ill.2d 132, 214 Ill.Dec. 433, 661 N.E.2d 287 (1996), misstates the holding of that case. The dissent states that in Brown, this court reversed a death sentence on the ground that the trial court committed error in immediately proceeding to determine eligibility after finding the defendant guilty. Brown, however, did not even address the propriety of the trial judge's actions in this regard, let alone order reversal on that ground. Rather, reversal of the defendant's death sentence in Brown was predicated wholly on the fact that the defendant's pretrial waiver of a jury for death sentencing was invalid because the trial judge, in obtaining the waiver, misinformed the defendant that he must waive a jury for sentencing as a precondition to waiving a jury for trial. Brown, 169 Ill.2d at 154-161, 214 Ill.Dec. 433, 661 N.E.2d 287. No similar facts are present here, and the dissent's suggestion that Brown compels reversal in this case is not accurate. In a related contention, the defendant argues that reversal is required because the trial court's summary finding of eligibility indicated that the trial court was predisposed to impose the death penalty. We fail to see, however, how a determination of eligibility, which must be made in every case before the death penalty may be imposed, indicates a predisposition to impose a death sentence.