People v. Guthrie

Mr. PRESIDING JUSTICE GREEN

delivered the opinion of the court:

The Illinois Constitution of 1970, article I, section 8, provides in part, “In criminal prosecutions, the accused shall have the right to appear and defend in person and by counsel;” “ ”.”

In Faretta v. California (1975), 422 U.S. 806, 45 L. Ed. 2d 562, 95 S. Ct. 2525, the Federal constitutional right of a defendant in State criminal proceedings to defend himself in person was recognized.

In this case, we make the first ruling by a court of review in this State upon the questions of: (1) whether a defendant in a criminal case has an…