People v. Brown

Chief Justice Thomas and Justices Freeman, Fitzgerald, Kilbride, Garman, and Karmeier concurred in the judgment and opinion.

OPINION

Defendant, Robert D. Brown, was sentenced to natural life imprisonment after he was adjudged an habitual criminal pursuant to section 33B — 1 of the Criminal Code of 1961 (the Habitual Criminal Act or the Act) (720 ILCS 5/33B — 1 (West 2002)). On appeal, defendant contended that the State failed to prove him eligible for sentencing as an habitual criminal because the State presented no evidence at his sentencing hearing to establish that he committed his second…