Court Opinion

ID: 9745276
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 22:45:39.713685+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:24:58.611479
License: Public Domain

JUSTICE CLARK, specially concurring: I agree with the majority opinion and write separately only to point out that I believe defendant’s due process rights were adequately protected by the hearing he received on his petition for post-conviction relief. Additionally, I note that today’s decision should not be interpreted to prevent trial courts from granting post-conviction relief if the facts of a particular case warrant such a remedy. Defendant’s post-conviction petition sought a new sentencing hearing because the sentencing judge considered evidence of an alleged séxual attack on Betty K. for which defendant was later acquitted. It is significant to note that defendant does not argue that evidence of the attack on Betty K. was improperly admitted at his sentencing hearing. Nor does defendant contend that such evidence would be inadmissible at the new sentencing hearing which he requested. Rather, defendant asserts he is entitled to a new sentencing hearing because this evidence must be reconsidered in light of the subsequent acquittal. Due process requires that a sentence must not be imposed based upon materially false assumptions regarding the defendant’s background. While the rules of evidence for a sentencing hearing are relaxed, a court’s diligence in preserving the integrity of the system must not be. Thus, when evidence is presented of alleged criminal conduct for which the defendant has not been convicted, the sentencing court must be careful not to assume that defendant was or will be convicted. If the defendant has already been acquitted for an alleged offense, that fact should be taken into account. Where, as here, there has not yet been a trial on the alleged offense the sentencing court should view the evidence in light of the presumption of innocence. In either situation, the court is free to accord substantial weight to the evidence of the alleged criminal conduct, so long as it does not assume defendant was or will be convicted for that offense. If a sentence is imposed based upon material facts which are subsequently proved to be untrue, due process dictates that the defendant be given the opportunity to prove that his sentence would have been different had the court been aware of the true state of affairs. In the present case, defendant was given the opportunity to make such a showing via the hearing on his post-conviction petition. At this hearing, the sentencing judge was made aware of the subsequent acquittal and considered its effect on the sentence imposed. Although the judge indicated that evidence of the attack on Betty K. was a significant factor in the sentence, he also indicated that the subsequent acquittal would not have altered his decision. Because defendant was given this opportunity to present the evidence of his acquittal to the sentencing judge, I believe defendant’s due process rights were adequately protected. Finally, I note that today’s decision does not prevent a trial court from granting a new sentencing hearing under similar circumstances. If the court finds that evidence of a subsequent acquittal would have affected the sentencing decision, then I believe a new sentencing hearing would be appropriate. For example, if the sentencing judge in this case would have accorded substantially less weight to the evidence of the alleged attack on Betty K. had he known of defendant’s acquittal, then I believe defendant would have been entitled to a new sentencing hearing. Further, today’s decision does not prevent a new sentencing hearing when a sentencing court incorrectly assumes a defendant has been convicted of another crime, or relies on a conviction which is later reversed on constitutional grounds (United States v. Tucker (1972), 404 U.S. 443, 30 L. Ed. 2d 592, 92 S. Ct. 589). JUSTICES BILANDIC and FREEMAN join in this special concurrence.