Court Opinion

ID: 9733005
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 16:49:25.022597+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:26:37.346643
License: Public Domain

JUSTICE McMORROW, dissenting: Defendant contends that he is entitled to a new trial because he was receiving psychotropic medication during his trial proceedings. Applying the principles of People v. Mitchell, 189 Ill. 2d 312 (2000), the majority rejects this claim. See 195 Ill. 2d at 538-40. I disagreed with the result reached by a majority of this court in Mitchell (see Mitchell, 189 Ill. 2d at 362 (Freeman, J., dissenting, joined by Harrison, C.J., and McMorrow, J.)), and I continue to believe that Mitchell was wrongly decided. See People v. Jones, 191 Ill. 2d 354, 361 (2000) (Freeman, J., dissenting, joined by Harrison, C.J., and McMorrow, J.); People v. Jones, 191 Ill. 2d 194, 202-03 (2000) (Freeman, J., dissenting, joined by Harrison, C.J., and McMorrow, J.); People v. Moore, 189 Ill. 2d 521, 546 (2000) (Freeman, J., dissenting, joined by McMorrow, J.). I would therefore resolve defendant’s claim regarding psychotropic medication on the basis of the law as it stood prior to Mitchell. See Mitchell, 189 Ill. 2d at 396 (Freeman, J., dissenting, joined by Harrison, C.J., and McMorrow, J.); Jones, 191 Ill. 2d at 362 (Freeman, J., dissenting, joined by Harrison, C.J., and McMorrow, J.); Jones, 191 Ill. 2d at 202-03 (Freeman, J., dissenting, joined by Harrison, C.J., and McMorrow, J.). For these reasons, I respectfully dissent.