People v. Hart

The petitioner, Richard L. Hart, was convicted of murder by the circuit court of St. Clair County sitting without a jury, and was sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment. Petitioner’s direct appeal to this court was affirmed pursuant to Supreme Court Rule 23 (87 Ill. 2d R. 23). (People v. Hart (1984), 119 Ill. App. 3d 1176.) Our order also granted a motion by petitioner’s appellate counsel to withdraw pursuant to Anders v. California (1967), 386 U.S. 738, 18 L. Ed. 2d 493, 87 S. Ct. 1396. Petitioner subsequently filed a petition under section 122—1 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963 (Ill.…