People v. Topps

PRESIDING JUSTICE COUSINS

delivered the opinion of the court.

A jury convicted the defendant of one count of aggravated arson and two counts of first degree murder. The trial court sentenced him to 30 years’ incarceration in the Illinois Department of Corrections for the arson and imposed the mandatory sentence of natural life for the two murders. The defendant appealed to this court alleging various errors by the trial court as well as ineffective assistance of counsel. We affirmed. People v. Topps, 293 Ill. App. 3d 39, 687 N.E.2d 106 (1997). Subsequently, Charles Topps (the petitioner) filed…