Opinion ID: 2148855
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 12

Heading: Reevaluation of Fitness Prior to Sentencing

Text: The defendant next claims that reversal of his death sentence is warranted because the trial court erred in rejecting standby counsel's request for a reevaluation of the defendant's fitness prior to sentencing. Shortly after the trial court issued its verdict finding the defendant guilty, standby counsel for the defendant asked the court to order the defendant examined for fitness for sentencing. The trial court refused this request, stating that the defendant had already been found fit. On appeal, the defendant acknowledges that he was found fit to stand trial after a lengthy pretrial hearing. The defendant does not claim that, subsequent to that hearing, a bona fide doubt of his fitness was raised such that the trial court was required to hold a fitness hearing prior to sentencing. 725 ILCS 5/104-11(a) (West 1992). Rather, the defendant contends only that the trial court should have ordered him examined for fitness at that time. We disagree. The decision whether to order a fitness examination is expressly left to the discretion of the trial court because it is in a superior position to observe and evaluate the defendant's conduct. 725 ILCS 5/104-11(b) (West 1992); People v. Hall, 186 Ill.App.3d 123, 131-32, 133 Ill.Dec. 931, 541 N.E.2d 1369 (1989). In this case, we find no abuse of discretion in the trial court's denial of standby counsel's request for appointment of an expert. The defendant had already been extensively examined for fitness by several experts and the findings of those experts were fully presented at the pretrial fitness hearing. After hearing that testimony, the trial court ruled that the defendant was fit, and we have found that this ruling was supported by the evidence. In denying the request for reevaluation, the trial court stated that it had observed nothing during the course of the trial which indicated that the defendant's status with regard to fitness had changed. The only new matter pointed to by standby counsel as justification for ordering a new fitness examination was the defendant's behavior of rocking back and forth during the trial. This matter, however, was brought to the attention of the trial judge, who indicated that he had noticed the behavior, but that he did not find that it required a new fitness examination. The trial judge was in the best position to make this determination, having personally observed the defendant over the course of these proceedings. We cannot find that the trial court's denial of the request for reevaluation was an abuse of discretion. See Hall, 186 Ill.App.3d at 133-34, 133 Ill.Dec. 931, 541 N.E.2d 1369; People v. Banks, 94 Ill.App.3d 122, 129, 49 Ill.Dec. 656, 418 N.E.2d 510 (1981). The defendant also makes the vague assertion that a new fitness examination was required because the trial court knew that the defendant was receiving antipsychotic medications. This assertion is groundless. The trial court's knowledge that the defendant was receiving such medications was gained from the testimony presented at the defendant's fitness hearing. Thus, the trial court certainly took this information into account in making the pretrial fitness determination. There is no evidence that the administration of antipsychotic drugs to the defendant was changed in any manner that would have required a revisitation to the issue of his fitness prior to sentencing.