Docket No. 87089-Agenda 4-September 2000.

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, Appellee, v. 
ERIC LEE, Appellant.

Opinion filed February 16, 2001.-Modified on denial ofrehearing July 26, 2001.

JUSTICE FREEMAN delivered the opinion of the court:

Following a bench trial, the circuit court of Kankakee Countyconvicted defendant, Eric Lee, of first degree murder (720 ILCS5/9-1(a)(1), (a)(2) (West 1996)) of a police officer and aggravatedvehicular hijacking (720 ILCS 5/18-4(a)(3) (West 1996)). At asubsequent death penalty hearing, a jury found defendant eligiblefor the death penalty and concluded that there were no mitigatingfactors sufficient to preclude the imposition of a death sentence.The trial court sentenced defendant to death for the murder and to30 years' imprisonment for the aggravated vehicular hijacking.Defendant's execution has been stayed pending direct review bythis court. Ill. Const. 1970, art. VI,