People v. Oakes

Defendant Richard Patrick Oakes was charged with the 1986 murder of Helen Finley. In February 1988, he entered a fully negotiated plea of guilty and was sentenced to an 80-year extended term of imprisonment.

On August 16, 2000, defendant filed a pro se petition for postconviction relief claiming that his sentence was imposed in violation of the rule of Apprendi v. New Jersey, 530 U.S. 466, 147 L. Ed. 2d 435, 120 S. Ct. 2348 (2000). Following appointment of counsel and consideration of the State’s motion to dismiss, the court issued a memorandum opinion finding no legal authority for granting…