Court Opinion

ID: 9819661
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-01 06:29:38.625183+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T12:26:39.640611
License: Public Domain

JUSTICE QUINN, specially concurring. I agree with the majority opinion and Justice Campbell’s special concurrence. I write separately to indicate that I believe that when a defendant raises the issue of whether he knowingly waived his right to a jury trial for the first time on appeal, this court is not always required to review the issue under the plain error doctrine. In In re R.A.B., 197 Ill. 2d 358, 363 (2001), our supreme court held: “As this case deals with the knowing waiver of the fundamental right to a jury trial, we will consider this issue under the plain error doctrine. People v. Smith, 106 Ill. 2d 327, 333 (1985); People v. Taylor, 291 Ill. App. 3d 18, 20-21 (1997).” In People v. Smith, the court noted that neither defendant raised the issue of a lack of a knowing jury waiver before the trial court. The court then said: “The waiver rule is one of administrative convenience rather than jurisdiction, however, and we have provided by rule that plain errors affecting substantial rights may be noticed on review though not brought to the trial court’s attention (87 Ill. 2d R. 615(a)). Without determining that in every case the sufficiency of a jury waiver will warrant review, we shall consider the issue as it is presented in the two causes here, given its importance and the frequency with which it arises.” People v. Smith, 106 Ill. 2d at 333. Similarly, in People v. Tooles, 177 Ill. 2d 462 (1997), the court also cited Supreme Court Rule 615(a) and said, “Without determining whether, in every case, the failure to secure a written jury waiver warrants review under the plain error rule, we shall consider the instant defendants’ jury waiver arguments because of the frequency with which issues surrounding noncompliance with this requirement have been arising in the appellate court.” People v. Tooles, 177 Ill. 2d at 465. Based on the language used in the preceding cases, I believe that, in the appropriate case, this court may decline to apply the plain error doctrine to a defendant’s assertion that he did not voluntarily and knowingly waive his right to a jury trial, when that assertion is raised for the first time on appeal. See People v. O’Donnell, 192 Ill. App. 3d 321 (1989).