People v. Benford

2021 IL App (1st) 181237

191 N.E.3d 86

455 Ill.Dec. 127

The PEOPLE of the State of Illinois, Plaintiff-Appellee,

v.Reginald BENFORD, Defendant-Appellant.

No. 1-18-1237

Appellate Court of Illinois, First District, FIFTH DIVISION.

Filed March 26, 2021

James E. Chadd, Patricia G. Mysza, Douglas R. Hoff and Brett C. Zeeb, of State Appellate Defender, of Chicago, for appellant.

Kimberly M. Foxx, State's Attorney, of Chicago (Alan J. Spellberg, Annette Collins, Assistant State's Attorneys, of counsel), for the People.

JUSTICE CUNNINGHAM delivered the judgment of the court, with opinion.

¶ 1 Defendant-appellant Reginald Benford, who was convicted of first degree murder, appeals the denial of leave to file his successive postconviction petition. On appeal, the defendant argues that he has established cause and prejudice sufficient to require consideration of his successive postconviction petition alleging that his 40-year sentence violated the United States and Illinois Constitutions. For the reasons that follow, we affirm the judgment of the circuit court of Cook County.

¶ 2 BACKGROUND

¶ 3 In August 1998, the then 21-year-old defendant, Mr. Benford, shot and killed a fellow gang member, Davon Cook. Prior to his trial, the defendant was examined by a licensed clinical psychologist, who administered several psychological tests to the defendant. The verbal portion of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale indicated that the defendant had an IQ of 63, which was in the lowest one percentile of the population for that test. Also, the defendant received a verbal comprehension index score of 68, which placed him in the second percentile, and a working memory score of 55, equivalent to the lowest one-half of one percentile of the population for that test. The psychologist determined that the defendant was "of mildly retarded intellectual functioning."

¶ 4 Following a jury trial in 2001, the defendant was convicted of first degree murder in Mr. Cook's death. At sentencing, the court considered the aggravating factor of the defendant's 8-year criminal history against the mitigating factor that the defendant had begun to study bible scripture and was attempting to reform his behavior. The court determined that a minimum sentence would "deprecate [sic ] the seriousness of the offense" and sentenced the defendant to 40 years’ imprisonment. The defendant appealed, alleging, in relevant part, that his 40-year sentence was excessive, in light of his youth, mental retardation, personal history, and potential for rehabilitation. This court rejected his claim and affirmed his conviction and sentence. People v. Benford , 349 Ill. App. 3d 721, 737, 285 Ill.Dec. 894, 812 N.E.2d 714 (2004). The defendant's initial pro se postconviction petition, filed in 2006, was likewise unsuccessful.

¶ 5 On December 20, 2017, the defendant sought leave to file a successive pro se postconviction petition alleging, inter alia , that his sentence violated the principles of Miller v. Alabama , 567 U.S. 460, 132 S.Ct. 2455, 183 L.Ed.2d 407 (2012). Specifically, he argued that his 40-year sentence was a de facto life sentence which was imposed without taking into consideration his status as an emerging adult with an intellectual disability and, as such, the sentence was unconstitutional.

¶ 6 On March 8, 2018, in an oral ruling from the bench, the trial court denied the defendant leave to file his successive postconviction petition. The defendant appealed.

¶ 7 ANALYSIS

¶ 8 We note that we have jurisdiction to review this matter, as the defendant timely appealed. Ill. S. Ct. R. 301 (eff. Feb. 1, 1994); R. 303 (eff. July 1, 2017).

¶ 9 The Post-Conviction Hearing Act (Act) allows a defendant who is imprisoned in a penitentiary to challenge his conviction or sentence based on the denial of his constitutional rights. 725 ILCS 5/122-1 (West 2016). The Act ordinarily contemplates the filing of a single postconviction petition ( People v. Brown , 2017 IL App (1st) 150132, ¶ 35, 418 Ill.Dec. 446, 90 N.E.3d 604 ) and explicitly states that "[a]ny claim of substantial denial of constitutional rights not raised in the original or an amended petition is waived" ( 725 ILCS 5/122-3 (West 2016) ). This is because successive postconviction petitions " ‘plague the finality of criminal litigation.’ " Brown , 2017 IL App (1st) 150132, ¶ 36, 418 Ill.Dec. 446, 90 N.E.3d 604 (quoting People v. Tenner , 206 Ill. 2d 381, 392, 276 Ill.Dec. 343, 794 N.E.2d 238 (2002) ).

¶ 10 Because successive postconviction petitions are so disfavored, a defendant must obtain leave of court prior to filing such a petition. 725 ILCS 5/122-1(f) (West 2018). And a court should only grant leave where a defendant can show either (1) cause and prejudice for failure to raise the claim earlier or (2) a " ‘fundamental miscarriage of justice,’ " also known as a claim of actual innocence. See People v. Edwards , 2012 IL 111711, ¶¶ 22-23, 360 Ill.Dec. 784, 969 N.E.2d 829. "Cause" is an objective factor that impeded the defendant's ability to raise the claim earlier ( People v. Guerrero , 2012 IL 112020, ¶ 17, 357 Ill.Dec. 511, 963 N.E.2d 909 ), while "prejudice" occurs when the alleged constitutional error so infected the entire trial that the resulting conviction or sentence violates due process ( People v. Ortiz , 235 Ill. 2d 319, 329, 336 Ill.Dec. 16, 919 N.E.2d 941 (2009) ). We review de novo a trial court's denial of leave to file a successive postconviction petition. People v. Bailey , 2017 IL 121450, ¶ 13, 421 Ill.Dec. 833, 102 N.E.3d 114.

¶ 11 In the defendant's successive postconviction petition in this case, he contends that his 40-year sentence imposed for a crime he committed at the age of 21 violated the United States and Illinois Constitutions. To establish cause for failure to raise this claim earlier, the defendant points to recent case law governing the sentencing of juveniles, beginning with Miller , 567 U.S. 460, 132 S.Ct. 2455. In Miller , the United States Supreme Court held that mandatory life sentences without the possibility of parole imposed on juveniles were unconstitutional because the sentences prevented the trial court from considering the mitigating characteristics of youth. Id. at 476, 489, 132 S.Ct. 2455. Since the Miller decision, jurisprudence regarding juvenile sentencing has continued to evolve. Our supreme court, over the course of several cases, has held that a life sentence, whether natural or de facto , whether mandatory or discretionary, is unconstitutional for juveniles where the trial court did not consider the mitigating qualities of youth which were highlighted in Miller . People v. Reyes , 2016 IL 119271, ¶ 9, 407 Ill.Dec. 452, 63 N.E.3d 884 ; People v. Holman , 2017 IL 120655, ¶ 40, 418 Ill.Dec. 889, 91 N.E.3d 849.

¶ 12 But this jurisprudence related to the eighth amendment of the United States Constitution as discussed in Miller , and its progeny, is limited to juvenile offenders. The defendant was 21 years old when he murdered Mr. Cook, therefore he does not fit within the parameters of Miller . Instead, the only avenue open to the defendant would be cases interpreting section 11 of article I of the Illinois Constitution, also known as the proportionate penalty clause. Ill. Const. 1970, art. I, § 11. The proportionate penalties clause is implicated when a defendant's sentence is cruel, degrading, or so wholly disproportionate to the offense so as to shock the moral conscience of the community. People v. Villalobos , 2020 IL App (1st) 171512, ¶ 67, 443 Ill.Dec. 301, 161 N.E.3d 953 (citing People v. Sharpe , 216 Ill. 2d 481, 487, 298 Ill.Dec. 169, 839 N.E.2d 492 (2005) ). The proportionate penalties clause of the Illinois Constitution provides broader protection than the eighth amendment of the United States Constitution ( U.S. Const., amend. VIII ). People v. Clemons , 2012 IL 107821, ¶ 40, 360 Ill.Dec. 293, 968 N.E.2d 1046. Our supreme court has suggested that life sentences for "emerging adults" may violate the proportionate penalties clause, although they may not violate the eighth amendment of the United States Constitution. See People v. Harris , 2018 IL 121932, ¶ 40, 427 Ill.Dec. 833, 120 N.E.3d 900 (reversing appellate court's holding that 18-year-old defendant's 76-year sentence violated proportionate penalties clause, solely on the basis that defendant failed to raise as-applied challenge to his sentence in trial court); see also People v. Ross , 2020 IL App (1st) 171202, ¶ 20, 453 Ill.Dec. 734, 188 N.E.3d 703 (recognizing that law is trending toward increased protection for young adult offenders, in addition to juveniles).

¶ 13 While these recent cases may establish "cause" for the defendant's failure to raise the claim that his sentence was unconstitutional in his initial postconviction proceedings in 2006, the defendant must still demonstrate that he suffered prejudice. His claim of prejudice turns on whether his 40-year sentence amounts to a de facto life sentence. In People v. Buffer , 2019 IL 122327, ¶ 40, 434 Ill.Dec. 691, 137 N.E.3d 763, our supreme court drew a line at 40 years in order for a prison term to be considered a de facto life sentence.¹

¶ 14 The defendant argues that Buffer is ambiguous and that his 40-year prison term amounts to a de facto life sentence. We disagree. Buffer could not be more clear. The court stated: "We hereby conclude that a prison sentence of 40 years or less imposed on a juvenile offender does not constitute a de facto life sentence in violation of the eighth amendment." (Emphasis added.) Id. ¶ 41. At exactly 40 years, the defendant's sentence does not constitute a de facto life sentence. See Villalobos , 2020 IL App (1st) 171512, ¶ 63, 443...