People v. Blair

As defendant Leon Blair and two friends were walking toward an intersection on the south side of Chicago, they encountered a car driven by Darryl Mims. After harsh words were exchanged, defendant pulled a .357 Magnum from his waistband, said “ball game,” and killed Mims. A jury convicted defendant of first degree murder and the trial court imposed a sentence of 55 years’ imprisonment. Following an unsuccessful direct appeal, defendant filed the instant postconviction petition, blaming his lawyers for his first degree murder conviction. The trial court summarily dismissed the petition based on…