People v. Hardin

The defendant, Tommy Odell Hardin, also known as Thomas O. Hardin, Jr., appeals from the dismissal of his postconviction petition. A lawyer from the Du Page County public defender’s office represented him at his trial for aggravated criminal sexual abuse (720 ILCS 5/12— 16(d) (West 1996)). The court appointed another lawyer from the Du Page County public defender’s office to represent the defendant in the proceedings on his postconviction petition, in which he claimed that he had received ineffective assistance of counsel at trial. The defendant argues that this circumstance triggered a duty…