95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2007 and 2008
HB1870

 

Introduced 2/23/2007, by Rep. Ron Stephens

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
730 ILCS 5/5-8-1   from Ch. 38, par. 1005-8-1

    Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Reenacts the provision of P.A. 89-203 that requires the court to impose a sentence of natural life imprisonment, when the death penalty is not imposed, on a defendant who had attained the age of 17 or more and is found guilty of murdering an individual under 12 years of age; which was held unconstitutional by the Illinois Supreme Court in People v. Wooters as violating the single subject clause of the Illinois Constitution.


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CORRECTIONAL BUDGET AND IMPACT NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB1870 LRB095 09932 RLC 30144 b

1     AN ACT concerning criminal law.
 
2     Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
 
4     Section 1. Purpose.
5     (a) The General Assembly finds and declares that:
6         (1) Public Act 89-203, effective July 21, 1995,
7     contained provisions amending the Criminal Code of 1961 and
8     the Unified Code of Corrections. Public Act 89-203 also
9     contained other provisions, including revisions to the
10     Vehicle Code, the Counties Code, and the Code of Civil
11     Procedure.
12         (2) On November 18, 1999, the Illinois Supreme Court,
13     in People v. Wooters, 1999, 243 Ill. Dec. 33, 188 Ill.2d
14     500, 722 N.E.2d 1102 ruled that Public Act 89-203 violates
15     the single subject clause of the Illinois Constitution
16     (Article IV, Section 8 (d)) and was unconstitutional in its
17     entirety.
18         (3) The provisions of Public Act 89-203 amending
19     Section 5-8-1 of the Unified Code of Corrections is of
20     vital concern to the people of this State and legislative
21     action concerning that provision of Public Act 89-203 is
22     necessary.
23     (b) The purpose of this Act is to re-enact the provisions
24 of Section 5-8-1 of the Unified Code of Corrections of Public

 

 

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1 Act 89-203, including subsequent amendments. This re-enactment
2 is intended to remove any question as to the validity or
3 content of those provisions.
4     (c) This Act re-enacts the provisions of Section 5-8-1 of
5 the Unified Code of Corrections added by Public Act 89-203,
6 including subsequent amendments, to remove any question as to
7 the validity or content of those provisions; it is not intended
8 to supersede any other Public Act that amends the text of the
9 Sections as set forth in this Act. The material is shown as
10 existing text (i.e., without underscoring).
 
11     Section 5. The Unified Code of Corrections is amended by
12 reenacting Section 5-8-1 as follows:
 
13     (730 ILCS 5/5-8-1)  (from Ch. 38, par. 1005-8-1)
14     Sec. 5-8-1. Sentence of Imprisonment for Felony.
15     (a) Except as otherwise provided in the statute defining
16 the offense, a sentence of imprisonment for a felony shall be a
17 determinate sentence set by the court under this Section,
18 according to the following limitations:
19         (1) for first degree murder,
20             (a) a term shall be not less than 20 years and not
21         more than 60 years, or
22             (b) if a trier of fact finds beyond a reasonable
23         doubt that the murder was accompanied by exceptionally
24         brutal or heinous behavior indicative of wanton

 

 

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1         cruelty or, except as set forth in subsection (a)(1)(c)
2         of this Section, that any of the aggravating factors
3         listed in subsection (b) of Section 9-1 of the Criminal
4         Code of 1961 are present, the court may sentence the
5         defendant to a term of natural life imprisonment, or
6             (c) the court shall sentence the defendant to a
7         term of natural life imprisonment when the death
8         penalty is not imposed if the defendant,
9                 (i) has previously been convicted of first
10             degree murder under any state or federal law, or
11                 (ii) is a person who, at the time of the
12             commission of the murder, had attained the age of
13             17 or more and is found guilty of murdering an
14             individual under 12 years of age; or, irrespective
15             of the defendant's age at the time of the
16             commission of the offense, is found guilty of
17             murdering more than one victim, or
18                 (iii) is found guilty of murdering a peace
19             officer, fireman, or emergency management worker
20             when the peace officer, fireman, or emergency
21             management worker was killed in the course of
22             performing his official duties, or to prevent the
23             peace officer or fireman from performing his
24             official duties, or in retaliation for the peace
25             officer, fireman, or emergency management worker
26             from performing his official duties, and the

 

 

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1             defendant knew or should have known that the
2             murdered individual was a peace officer, fireman,
3             or emergency management worker, or
4                 (iv) is found guilty of murdering an employee
5             of an institution or facility of the Department of
6             Corrections, or any similar local correctional
7             agency, when the employee was killed in the course
8             of performing his official duties, or to prevent
9             the employee from performing his official duties,
10             or in retaliation for the employee performing his
11             official duties, or
12                 (v) is found guilty of murdering an emergency
13             medical technician - ambulance, emergency medical
14             technician - intermediate, emergency medical
15             technician - paramedic, ambulance driver or other
16             medical assistance or first aid person while
17             employed by a municipality or other governmental
18             unit when the person was killed in the course of
19             performing official duties or to prevent the
20             person from performing official duties or in
21             retaliation for performing official duties and the
22             defendant knew or should have known that the
23             murdered individual was an emergency medical
24             technician - ambulance, emergency medical
25             technician - intermediate, emergency medical
26             technician - paramedic, ambulance driver, or other

 

 

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1             medical assistant or first aid personnel, or
2                 (vi) is a person who, at the time of the
3             commission of the murder, had not attained the age
4             of 17, and is found guilty of murdering a person
5             under 12 years of age and the murder is committed
6             during the course of aggravated criminal sexual
7             assault, criminal sexual assault, or aggravated
8             kidnaping, or
9                 (vii) is found guilty of first degree murder
10             and the murder was committed by reason of any
11             person's activity as a community policing
12             volunteer or to prevent any person from engaging in
13             activity as a community policing volunteer. For
14             the purpose of this Section, "community policing
15             volunteer" has the meaning ascribed to it in
16             Section 2-3.5 of the Criminal Code of 1961.
17             For purposes of clause (v), "emergency medical
18         technician - ambulance", "emergency medical technician -
19          intermediate", "emergency medical technician -
20         paramedic", have the meanings ascribed to them in the
21         Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems Act.
22             (d) (i) if the person committed the offense while
23             armed with a firearm, 15 years shall be added to
24             the term of imprisonment imposed by the court;
25                 (ii) if, during the commission of the offense,
26             the person personally discharged a firearm, 20

 

 

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1             years shall be added to the term of imprisonment
2             imposed by the court;
3                 (iii) if, during the commission of the
4             offense, the person personally discharged a
5             firearm that proximately caused great bodily harm,
6             permanent disability, permanent disfigurement, or
7             death to another person, 25 years or up to a term
8             of natural life shall be added to the term of
9             imprisonment imposed by the court.
10         (1.5) for second degree murder, a term shall be not
11     less than 4 years and not more than 20 years;
12         (2) for a person adjudged a habitual criminal under
13     Article 33B of the Criminal Code of 1961, as amended, the
14     sentence shall be a term of natural life imprisonment;
15         (2.5) for a person convicted under the circumstances
16     described in paragraph (3) of subsection (b) of Section
17     12-13, paragraph (2) of subsection (d) of Section 12-14,
18     paragraph (1.2) of subsection (b) of Section 12-14.1, or
19     paragraph (2) of subsection (b) of Section 12-14.1 of the
20     Criminal Code of 1961, the sentence shall be a term of
21     natural life imprisonment;
22         (3) except as otherwise provided in the statute
23     defining the offense, for a Class X felony, the sentence
24     shall be not less than 6 years and not more than 30 years;
25         (4) for a Class 1 felony, other than second degree
26     murder, the sentence shall be not less than 4 years and not

 

 

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1     more than 15 years;
2         (5) for a Class 2 felony, the sentence shall be not
3     less than 3 years and not more than 7 years;
4         (6) for a Class 3 felony, the sentence shall be not
5     less than 2 years and not more than 5 years;
6         (7) for a Class 4 felony, the sentence shall be not
7     less than 1 year and not more than 3 years.
8     (b) The sentencing judge in each felony conviction shall
9 set forth his reasons for imposing the particular sentence he
10 enters in the case, as provided in Section 5-4-1 of this Code.
11 Those reasons may include any mitigating or aggravating factors
12 specified in this Code, or the lack of any such circumstances,
13 as well as any other such factors as the judge shall set forth
14 on the record that are consistent with the purposes and
15 principles of sentencing set out in this Code.
16     (c) A motion to reduce a sentence may be made, or the court
17 may reduce a sentence without motion, within 30 days after the
18 sentence is imposed. A defendant's challenge to the correctness
19 of a sentence or to any aspect of the sentencing hearing shall
20 be made by a written motion filed within 30 days following the
21 imposition of sentence. However, the court may not increase a
22 sentence once it is imposed.
23     If a motion filed pursuant to this subsection is timely
24 filed within 30 days after the sentence is imposed, the
25 proponent of the motion shall exercise due diligence in seeking
26 a determination on the motion and the court shall thereafter

 

 

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1 decide such motion within a reasonable time.
2     If a motion filed pursuant to this subsection is timely
3 filed within 30 days after the sentence is imposed, then for
4 purposes of perfecting an appeal, a final judgment shall not be
5 considered to have been entered until the motion to reduce a
6 sentence has been decided by order entered by the trial court.
7     A motion filed pursuant to this subsection shall not be
8 considered to have been timely filed unless it is filed with
9 the circuit court clerk within 30 days after the sentence is
10 imposed together with a notice of motion, which notice of
11 motion shall set the motion on the court's calendar on a date
12 certain within a reasonable time after the date of filing.
13     (d) Except where a term of natural life is imposed, every
14 sentence shall include as though written therein a term in
15 addition to the term of imprisonment. For those sentenced under
16 the law in effect prior to February 1, 1978, such term shall be
17 identified as a parole term. For those sentenced on or after
18 February 1, 1978, such term shall be identified as a mandatory
19 supervised release term. Subject to earlier termination under
20 Section 3-3-8, the parole or mandatory supervised release term
21 shall be as follows:
22         (1) for first degree murder or a Class X felony except
23     for the offenses of predatory criminal sexual assault of a
24     child, aggravated criminal sexual assault, and criminal
25     sexual assault if committed on or after the effective date
26     of this amendatory Act of the 94th General Assembly, 3

 

 

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1     years;
2         (2) for a Class 1 felony or a Class 2 felony except for
3     the offense of criminal sexual assault if committed on or
4     after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 94th
5     General Assembly, 2 years;
6         (3) for a Class 3 felony or a Class 4 felony, 1 year;
7         (4) for defendants who commit the offense of predatory
8     criminal sexual assault of a child, aggravated criminal
9     sexual assault, or criminal sexual assault, on or after the
10     effective date of this amendatory Act of the 94th General
11     Assembly, the term of mandatory supervised release shall
12     range from a minimum of 3 years to a maximum of the natural
13     life of the defendant;
14         (5) if the victim is under 18 years of age, for a
15     second or subsequent offense of aggravated criminal sexual
16     abuse or felony criminal sexual abuse, 4 years, at least
17     the first 2 years of which the defendant shall serve in an
18     electronic home detention program under Article 8A of
19     Chapter V of this Code.
20     (e) A defendant who has a previous and unexpired sentence
21 of imprisonment imposed by another state or by any district
22 court of the United States and who, after sentence for a crime
23 in Illinois, must return to serve the unexpired prior sentence
24 may have his sentence by the Illinois court ordered to be
25 concurrent with the prior sentence in the other state. The
26 court may order that any time served on the unexpired portion

 

 

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1 of the sentence in the other state, prior to his return to
2 Illinois, shall be credited on his Illinois sentence. The other
3 state shall be furnished with a copy of the order imposing
4 sentence which shall provide that, when the offender is
5 released from confinement of the other state, whether by parole
6 or by termination of sentence, the offender shall be
7 transferred by the Sheriff of the committing county to the
8 Illinois Department of Corrections. The court shall cause the
9 Department of Corrections to be notified of such sentence at
10 the time of commitment and to be provided with copies of all
11 records regarding the sentence.
12     (f) A defendant who has a previous and unexpired sentence
13 of imprisonment imposed by an Illinois circuit court for a
14 crime in this State and who is subsequently sentenced to a term
15 of imprisonment by another state or by any district court of
16 the United States and who has served a term of imprisonment
17 imposed by the other state or district court of the United
18 States, and must return to serve the unexpired prior sentence
19 imposed by the Illinois Circuit Court may apply to the court
20 which imposed sentence to have his sentence reduced.
21     The circuit court may order that any time served on the
22 sentence imposed by the other state or district court of the
23 United States be credited on his Illinois sentence. Such
24 application for reduction of a sentence under this subsection
25 (f) shall be made within 30 days after the defendant has
26 completed the sentence imposed by the other state or district

 

 

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1 court of the United States.
2 (Source: P.A. 94-165, eff. 7-11-05; 94-243, eff. 1-1-06;
3 94-715, eff. 12-13-05.)