Originally published on January 25, 2021 5:03 pm
The state’s highest court deadlocked Friday over how to interpret a state law that outlines the procedure judges must follow to sentence a minor who is found guilty of a crime to a state juvenile detention center.
The case, out of Rock Island County, raised the question of whether, under Illinois law, a judge must state directly in the court record that commitment to a juvenile detention facility is the “least restrictive” sentencing option.
The two-sentence opinion noted that Illinois Supreme Court Justice Robert Carter, who was appointed in November to replace former Justice Thomas Kilbride, recused himself, leaving only six justices to decide on the case.