The PEOPLE v. Collins

Petitioner, James Collins, filed a pro se petition under the Post-Conviction Hearing Act (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1965, chap. 38, par. 122 — 1 et seq.) asserting that in a bench trial before the circuit court of Cook County which resulted in his conviction of forcible rape, his rights guaranteed by the 5th, 6th and 14th amendments of the Federal constitution and by sections 2 and 9 of article II of the Illinois constitution were violated, and he requested a hearing on the merits of these allegations. The petition was dismissed on the State’s motion and it is from this order of dismissal that…