Court Opinion

ID: 9743260
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 21:29:30.306344+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:24:40.195595
License: Public Domain

JUSTICE BOWMAN, dissenting: I respectfully dissent. Specifically, I believe that the trial court properly dismissed the postconviction petition on the ground of res judicata, as the trial court did not engage in fact-finding or consider evidence outside the record, and the issue had already been adjudicated on direct appeal. We review de novo the dismissal of a postconviction petition at the first stage. People v. Coleman, 183 Ill. 2d 366, 387-88 (1998). Under the Fost-Conviction Hearing Act (the Act) (725 ILCS 5/122 — 1 et seq. (West 2002)), the scope of a postconviction proceeding is limited to constitutional matters that have not been, and could not have been, previously adjudicated on direct appeal. People v. Lucas, 203 Ill. 2d 410, 417-18 (2002). Any issues considered by the court on direct appeal are barred by res judicata. See Lucas, 203 Ill. 2d at 418. The inquiry into whether a postconviction petition contains sufficient allegations of a constitutional deprivation does not require the trial court to engage in any fact-finding. Coleman, 183 Ill. 2d at 385. Rather, at the first stage of a postconviction proceeding, the trial court examines the petition to determine whether it is frivolous or patently without merit and may dismiss the petition on that basis. 725 ILCS 5/122 — 2.1(a)(2) (West 2002). Thus, during the first stage, a trial court may focus only on the substantive merits of the petition, and may not consider procedural issues. People v. Boclair, 202 Ill. 2d 89, 102 (2002). Res judicata is a substantive consideration to the extent that it delineates the scope and purpose of the Act. People v. Smith, 341 Ill. App. 3d 530, 536-537 (2003). The Act specifically provides that, at the first stage of a postconviction proceeding, the court may examine not only the court files but also “any action taken by an appellate court.” 725 ILCS 5/122 — 2.1(c) (West 2002); People v. Etherly, 344 Ill. App. 3d 599, 614 (2003). Defendant directly appealed his conviction, contending that the trial court had deprived him of his right of self-representation. This court affirmed. Defendant then filed a postconviction petition, again contending that the trial court had deprived him of his right of self-representation. Defendant did not include additional outside evidence. In dismissing the petition, the trial court did not engage in fact-finding or consider evidence outside the record. In my opinion, to hold that the trial court in this case could not summarily dismiss the petition based on res judicata effectively nullifies section 2.1(c) of the Act. Because the trial court, looking only to the record, determined that the issue had been adjudicated on direct appeal and was, therefore, outside the scope of the Act, I would affirm.