People v. Howell

Defendant was arrested on September 13, 1971, in connection with an attempted armed robbery and shooting in a tavern in East St. Louis. He was confined in jail until he was indicted 65 days later. No preliminary hearing was held, and no issue was raised in the trial court concerning the failure to hold a prompt preliminary hearing. While finding that the 65-day delay violated the defendant’s constitutional right to a prompt preliminary hearing, the appellate court held that the error did not require a reversal of the conviction. (16 Ill. App. 3d 989.) We granted leave to appeal.

Section 7 of…