Norvell v. Illinois

Petitioner was convicted of murder in the Illinois courts in 1941 and sentenced to 199 years in prison. Though indigent, he had a lawyer at the trial/

On the date of the sentence the docket entry reads: “Defendant Willie Norvell’s motion for allowance of 90 days’ time in which to prepare and file his bill of exceptions allowed.” Presumably petitioner’s lawyer made that motion, though the record does not indicate one way or the other. Petitioner tried to get a transcript. But again whether he acted on his own or through his lawyer we do not know. We do know, however, that because he ■ *421was…