People v. Tenney

Following a jury trial, the defendant, Edward Tenney, was found guilty of first-degree murder (720 ILCS 5/9—1(a)(2) (West 1992)) and sentenced to a term of natural life imprisonment. On appeal, the defendant argues that (1) he was not proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt; (2) the trial court abused its discretion during voir dire; and (3) his sentence is invahd under the rule articulated in Apprendi v. New Jersey, 530 U.S. 466, 147 L. Ed. 2d 435, 120 S. Ct. 2348 (2000). We affirm the defendant’s conviction, but remand the cause for a new sentencing hearing.

I. Background

On May 26, 1995, the…