People v. Brown (Ill. S.Ct.)

Docket No. 82186-Agenda 6-May 1998.

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, Appellee, v. ANTHONY BROWN, Appellant.

JUSTICE MILLER delivered the opinion of the court:

After a jury trial in the circuit court of Cook County, the defendant, Anthony Brown, was convicted on two counts of first degree murder and on one count each of aggravated vehicular hijacking, aggravated criminal sexual assault, and armed robbery. The defendant waived his right to a jury for purposes of a death penalty hearing, and, following a hearing, the trial judge sentenced the defendant to death for the convictions for first degree murder. The judge sentenced the defendant to concurrent 30-year terms of imprisonment for his convictions for aggravated criminal sexual assault and aggravated vehicular hijacking; the judge did not impose any sentence for the armed robbery conviction, finding that it merged with that for vehicular hijacking. The defendant's execution has been stayed pending direct review by this court. Ill. Const. 1970, art. VI,