Opinion ID: 2086213
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: constitutionality of the sentencing hearing and death penalty

Text: Defendant argues that the death penalty is unconstitutional because it places a burden of proof on the defendant which precludes meaningful consideration of mitigating evidence, and because it does not sufficiently minimize the risk of arbitrary and capricious death sentences. Both of these arguments have been addressed and rejected by this court on several occasions. ( People v. Henderson (1990), 142 Ill.2d 258, 346, 154 Ill.Dec. 785, 568 N.E.2d 1234.) Defendant's arguments fail to persuade us to reconsider this court's previous decisions. Defendant also argues that when the burden of proof is on the defendant and the State is allowed to open and close the sentencing hearing, a defendant is denied a fair and reliable sentencing hearing. This argument was specifically rejected by this court in People v. Williams (1983), 97 Ill.2d 252, 302-03, 73 Ill.Dec. 360, 454 N.E.2d 220. We see no need to revisit that decision at this time.