People v. Swamynathan

Defendant, Ramesh K. Swamynathan, appeals from the trial court’s order dismissing his pro se petition for relief pursuant to the Post-Conviction Hearing Act (the Act) (725 ILCS 5/122 — 1 et seq. (West 2006)) as frivolous and patently without merit. Defendant’s petition attacked his conviction of first-degree murder (720 ILCS 5/9— 1(a) (West 2002)), which was entered after he pleaded guilty but mentally ill. In his petition, defendant alleged that he was not mentally fit at the time he entered his guilty plea and that, therefore, his plea was involuntary. On appeal, defendant contends that the…