People v. Buck

Following a jury trial in the circuit court of Winnebago County, defendant, William J. Buck, was convicted of first-degree murder (720 ILCS 5/9 — 1(a)(1) (West 2000)). Although the State sought the death penalty, the jury did not find defendant death-eligible, and the trial court sentenced defendant to 60 years’ imprisonment. Defendant appeals his conviction, arguing that the trial judge should have been disqualified because: (a) prior to becoming a member of the bench, he told a member of the media that the death penalty was “appropriate” for the type of crime committed by defendant; (b) the…