Court Opinion

ID: 9742108
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 21:06:50.877693+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T12:05:45.695815
License: Public Domain

JUSTICE BILANDIC, also dissenting: I respectfully dissent. I agree with my colleagues, Justices Miller and Harrison, that the two offenses at is- ’ sue are distinct crimes and the legislature is entitled to determine that one is more serious than the other. The legislature must be given great deference in determining the relative seriousness of criminal offenses and this court should be extremely reluctant to second-guess the legislature’s determination. See People v. Lee, 167 Ill. 2d 140, 144-46 (1995); People v. Hickman, 163 Ill. 2d 250, 259 (1994). I find no reason to second-guess the legislature’s decision with regard to the offenses at issue in this case. I would find this court’s decision in People v. Lewis, 175 Ill. 2d 412 (1996), to be distinguishable because that case involved two identical offenses.