People v. La Pointe

How courts have described this case

Verbatim parenthetical descriptions written by other courts when citing this decision. Ranked by citation-network relevance.

• holding that the word “brutal” contemplates only that conduct which is “grossly ruthless” or “cruel and cold-blooded”
• finding that the proportionate penalties clause of the Illinois Constitution does not require a sentencing judge to make specific findings regarding the defendant’s rehabilitative potential
• finding that a sentencing court may “properly receive proof of criminal conduct for which no prosecution and conviction ensued”
• instructing that a sentencing court is not limited to considering only information that would be admissible under the adversarial circumstances of trial, however, the court must exercise care to ensure the accuracy of the information considered
• stating the “relevancy and accuracy of the information submitted” at a sentencing hearing is “initially determined by the trial judge in the exercise of an informed discretion”
• finding the trial court did not abuse its discretion at sentencing when considering the defendant’s other crimes, even though he had not been prosecuted or convicted of those crimes, because the State offered sworn testimony that was subject to cross-examination

Source: CourtListener parenthetical corpus (CC0).