People v. Hill

Following a jury trial in the circuit court of Cook County, defendant James Hill was found guilty of possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver and delivery of a controlled substance. Based on Hill’s criminal history, the trial court sentenced Hill as a Class X offender (730 ILCS 5/5 — 5—3(c)(8) (West 2006)) to two concurrent 12-year terms in prison. On appeal, Hill argues: (1) his conviction should be reversed, because the circuit court failed to comply with Illinois Supreme Court Rule 431(b) (eff. May 1, 2007); (2) the circuit court denied Hill’s knowing right to testify by…