Court Opinion

ID: 9712910
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 05:02:49.284148+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:23:15.240821
License: Public Domain

PRESIDING JUSTICE REID, dissenting: I dissent. In particular, I cannot stand with the majority on the circular reasoning it implements so as to not review the Batson issue under plain error. The doctrine of plain error allows this court to review errors which were not sufficiently raised below. Here, it is obvious that the alleged error which the defendant complains of, striking jurors on the basis of race, is an error which is so serious that it deprives a defendant of a fair trial. Furthermore, it is obvious and the majority concedes that the trial court did not handle this issue properly. However, for reasons which I cannot understand, the majority states that it will not review this issue because, “While discrimination during jury selection raises serious questions as to the fairness of a judicial proceeding [citation], the trial court in this case could have cured the alleged error had defendant raised an objection.” 357 Ill. App. 3d at 328. This is the reason that the plain error doctrine exists. Plain error is to be employed when: (1) the evidence is closely balanced, or (2) the alleged error was so serious that it deprived the defendant of a fair trial. That is it. There is no third prong which states: (3) plain error will not be used when the defendant could have raised the issue below and did not.