The PEOPLE v. Jackson

Defendant Stephen R. Jackson was indicted, along with John Knight, Larry Pruitt and two other men, in the circuit court of Cook County for murder and armed robbery. After the charges had been reduced to voluntary manslaughter and robbery, Jackson, Knight and Pruitt all withdrew their pleas of not guilty and entered pleas of guilty. Jackson was sentenced to the penitentiary for a term of 14 to 20 years and Knight and Pruitt each received a 5-to-20-year sentence.

Jackson thereafter filed a petition under the Post-Conviction Hearing Act (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1969, ch. 38, par. 122 —x et seq.)…