Opinion ID: 2135655
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Appellate Court's Remand for Further Post-Trial Proceedings

Text: The State has cross-appealed urging us to reverse the appellate court's remand of the cause to the trial court for a further post-trial hearing. Prior to sentencing, the defendant filed a pro se post-trial motion in which he raised the issue of ineffective assistance of counsel. During post-trial proceedings, the trial judge denied defendant's motion without making a preliminary inquiry into his claims. Additionally, the trial judge refused to allow the defendant to specify his complaints and to present supporting evidence and documentation. While a pro se motion for a new trial alleging ineffective assistance of counsel does not per se require appointment of new counsel to assist in the motion, the trial court must at least examine the factual matters underlying the defendant's claim. If after examining the factual matters, the trial court determines that the claim lacks merit or pertains only to matters of trial strategy, then new counsel does not need to be appointed and the pro se motion can be denied. If, however, the allegations show possible neglect of the case, new counsel should be appointed. ( People v. Williams (1991), 147 Ill.2d 173, 251, 167 Ill.Dec. 853, 588 N.E.2d 983.) In the present case, the trial judge never reached the point of determining whether new counsel was necessary because he denied defendant's motion without any inquiry at all. While defendant's claims may be without merit, the trial court should have afforded the defendant the opportunity to specify and support his complaints. In short, the defendant's motion was precipitously and prematurely denied. Accordingly, we affirm the appellate court, which affirmed the convictions and remanded the cause to the trial court for further post-trial proceedings. Affirmed.