People v. Boose

After having been found competent to stand trial by a jury in the circuit court of La Salle County, the defendant, Els on Boose, pleaded guilty to a charge of murder and was sentenced to a term of imprisonment of not less than 20 nor more than 40 years. The appellate court reversed, holding that the “trial judge abused his discretion by ordering that the defendant appear shackled before the jury at the hearing on his competency.” (33 Ill. App. 3d 250, 255.) We granted the State’s petition for leave to appeal under Rule 315 (58 Ill. 2d R. 315).

The defendant was accused of murdering a guard…