THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. JOSHUA CAVAZOS, Defendant-Appellant.
No. 2-12-0171
Appellate Court of Illinois, Second District
November 2, 2020
2020 IL App (2d) 120171-B
Appeal from the Circuit Court of Kane County, No. 08-CF-3321; the Hon. Timothy Q. Sheldon, Judge, presiding. Affirmed in part and vacated in part. Cause remanded.
Joseph H. McMahon, State’s Attorney, of St. Charles (Patrick Delfino, Edward R. Psenicka, and Diane L. Campbell, of State’s Attorneys Appellate Prosecutor’s Office, of counsel), for the People.
Presiding Justice Birkett and Justice Zenoff concurred in the judgment and opinion.
OPINION
¶ 1 In 2011, a jury convicted defendant, Joshua Cavazos, of two counts of first degree murder (
¶ 2 On appeal, we rejected defendant’s arguments concerning the sufficiency of the evidence, jury instructions, proof of specific intent for the attempted murder, and, overall, the sentence’s constitutionality. People v. Cavazos, 2015 IL App (2d) 120171.
¶ 3 This case returns to us following our supreme court’s entry of a supervisory order that directed us to (1) vacate our prior judgment; (2) consider the effect of People v. Buffer, 2019 IL 122327, on the issue of whether defendant’s sentence constitutes an unconstitutional de facto life sentence; and (3) determine if a different result is warranted. People v. Cavazos, No. 119208 (Ill. Mar. 25, 2020) (supervisory order). For the following reasons, we affirm defendant’s conviction, vacate his sentence, and remand this matter for a new sentencing hearing.
I. BACKGROUND
A. Trial
¶ 6 Our prior order set forth detailed facts concerning the trial—we need not repeat them here. Cavazos, 2015 IL App (2d) 120171, ¶¶ 7-61. For context, however, we summarize that, on January 20, 2007, as 15-year-old Oscar Rodriguez and his girlfriend, Claudia Lozano, walked along High Street near Grove Street in Aurora, a sport utility vehicle drove past. The occupants threw gang signs and yelled gang slogans—then gunshots were fired, killing Rodriguez and injuring Lozano. Defendant, age 17, and his brother, Justin Cavazos, age 16, both members of the Insane Deuces street gang, were charged in connection with the incident. In 2011, the brothers were tried simultaneously (in adult court) by separate juries.
¶ 7 As previously noted, the jury convicted defendant of two counts of first degree murder and found that he discharged the firearm that proximately caused Rodriguez’s death. The jury also convicted defendant of attempted first degree murder and found that he fired the weapon used in that crime. Finally, the jury found defendant guilty of aggravated discharge of a firearm and unlawful possession of a stolen motor vehicle.
¶ 9 On January 18, 2012, the trial court denied defendant’s motion for a new trial and proceeded to sentencing. The State emphasized defendant’s gang involvement, violent history, and his callous attitude concerning his crimes.
¶ 10 In response, defense counsel stated to the court, “Unfortunately, any argument I can make really won’t do much good considering the minimums here. The legislature has chosen to handcuff you either mitigation wise or nonmitigation wise [sic].” Counsel argued that, although defendant made some “bad choices,” letters in the record reflected that in his early years defendant was a good person and that his bad choices did not mean that he could not be rehabilitated. Counsel asserted that, while no statutory mitigating factors “technically” applied, defendant’s record aside from this case consisted of a few ordinance violations and one felony. Counsel asserted that, although the minimum sentence effectively equated to a life sentence, it would be appropriate because it would account for defendant’s rehabilitative potential.
¶ 11 In announcing its sentence, the court noted that, while defendant was apparently a “very nice” young man and gifted athlete in his early years, his behavior altered after a custody modification. The court recounted that defendant’s criminal history included a few minor offenses and a Class 3 felony. Defendant had declined to participate in an interview concerning his background. He had a young daughter and a family who would all be impacted by the imposed sentence. The court commented that, at a young age, defendant chose the Insane Deuces over many wonderful things in his life, including his freedom. It sentenced defendant to 25 years’ imprisonment for first degree murder (see
¶ 12 Defendant moved to reconsider the sentence, asking that the court grant the minimum aggregate sentence (which, in these circumstances, was 71 years’ imprisonment), rather than the 80 years imposed, as the imposed sentence did not adequately take into account his rehabilitative potential. On February 12, 2012, the court granted the motion in part, reducing the murder sentence by 5 years (i.e., to the minimum of 20 years), resulting in an aggregate 75-year sentence.
C. Appellate Proceedings
¶ 14 On direct appeal, defendant raised multiple arguments, including a challenge to the constitutionality of the statutory provisions that resulted in his trial in adult court and his ultimate sentence. He argued that the confluence of (1) his mandatory transfer to adult court, (2) the application to juveniles of mandatory firearm enhancements, (3) mandatory consecutive sentencing, (4) adult sentencing ranges, and (5) “truth in sentencing” provisions did not permit consideration of his youthfulness at the time of the offense and, thus, his sentence was unconstitutional. We rejected his arguments. Cavazos, 2015 IL App (2d) 120171,
“[H]ere, the court determined that 20 years’ imprisonment was appropriate for [defendant’s] decision to take another’s life. However, it was required to impose another 25 years to that sentence because [defendant] did so with a firearm.
730 ILCS 5/5-8-1(a)(1)(d)(iii) (West 2006). Similarly, the court determined that 10 years’ imprisonment should be imposed for [defendant’s] attempted murder of a young girl. However, it was required to impose another 20 years, indeed twice the underlying sentence, because [defendant] did so with a firearm.730 ILCS 5/5-8-1(a)(1)(d)(ii) (West 2006). We do not suggest that the crimes at issue here or the use of a firearm during those crimes should be punished lightly, or that the instant sentence is inappropriate, but where there exists an evolving trend that the attendant circumstances of youth must be considered at sentencing, the court’s restricted discretion and required imposition of an add-on that is more than what the court determines is reasonable for the underlying offense should, in our opinion, be revisited.” (Emphases in original.) Id. ¶ 102.
¶ 15 Thereafter, our supreme court denied defendant’s petition for leave to appeal. Still, as noted, it directed us to vacate our prior decision and to consider the effect, if any, of Buffer on defendant’s sentence. Cavazos, No. 119208. We ordered the parties to submit supplemental briefing on the pertinent issue.
II. ANALYSIS
¶ 17 Preliminarily, we note again that, although defendant’s initial appeal raised multiple issues, we maintain our original holdings on all issues except the constitutionality of defendant’s sentence, which we reconsider here. See Cavazos, 2015 IL App (2d) 120171.
¶ 18 The United States Supreme Court has issued a series of decisions that, collectively, reflect that mandatory life sentences for juvenile defendants violate the eighth amendment (
¶ 19 The Illinois Supreme Court has also issued decisions that, collectively, reflect that (1) Miller applies to discretionary, as well as mandatory, life sentences (People v. Holman, 2017 IL 120655, ¶ 40); (2) Miller applies to de facto life sentences, or sentences that cannot be served in one lifetime, and thus that have the same practical effect on a juvenile as a mandatory life sentence without parole (People v. Reyes, 2016 IL 119271, ¶¶ 9-10); and (3) any sentence exceeding 40 years is a de facto life sentence requiring the sentencing court to consider, before imposition, youth and its attendant circumstances (Buffer, 2019 IL 122327, ¶¶ 41-42). Thus, a court may sentence a juvenile to natural life or a de facto life sentence; however, to comply with constitutional requirements, the sentencing court must first
“determine[ ] that the defendant’s conduct showed irretrievable depravity, permanent incorrigibility, or irreparable corruption beyond the possibility of rehabilitation. The court may make that decision only after considering the defendant’s youth and its attendant characteristics. Those characteristics include, but are not limited to, the following factors: (1) the juvenile defendant’s chronological age at the time of the offense and any evidence of his particular immaturity, impetuosity, and failure to appreciate risks and consequences; (2) the juvenile defendant’s family and home environment; (3) the juvenile defendant’s degree of participation in the homicide and any evidence of familial or peer pressures that may have affected him; (4) the juvenile defendant’s incompetence, including his inability to deal with police officers or prosecutors and his incapacity to assist his own attorneys; and (5) the juvenile defendant’s prospects for rehabilitation.” (Emphasis added.) Holman, 2017 IL 120655, ¶ 46 (citing Miller, 567 U.S. at 477-78).
¶ 20 Indeed, this state has now codified the Miller factors. Specifically,
¶ 21 Here, defendant argues that, in light of the foregoing, his sentence constitutes an unconstitutional de facto life sentence, as the court was required to impose more than 40 years’ imprisonment without adequate consideration of his youth and its attendant circumstances. The State disagrees with defendant’s calculation of his total sentence (asserting that, with truth-in-
¶ 22 The State nevertheless disagrees that defendant’s life sentence violates the eighth amendment. It contends that the trial court considered defendant’s youth and its attendant circumstances and, further, that the record reflects that defendant is the rare juvenile whose irreparable corruption warrants his life sentence. Specifically, the State notes that the record “amply” reflects that the court “fully considered defendant’s youth,” that the record itself contained information to support the required findings, and that the court was not, in any event, required to make explicit findings of incorrigibility. For example, the State identifies the court’s comment that defendant decided “in his very young life” to pursue gang activity. Further, the State points out that there were photos of defendant in the record and that his youth would also have manifested itself by his presence at trial. Also, the State notes that, during voir dire, prospective jurors commented on defendant’s youthful appearance and that defense counsel commented in closing argument on the length of sentences received by the teenage witnesses who testified on the State’s behalf. Moreover, the State notes that letters submitted on defendant’s behalf at sentencing emphasized his youth. The State concludes that it is “amply demonstrated that the sentencing judge was cognizant of and fully considered the defendant’s youth at sentencing” and that the length of the sentence was, therefore, character-driven. Indeed, the State comments that applying the relevant factors to this case reflects that (1) defendant was not susceptible to peer pressure and (2) was fully aware of the consequences of his actions. He was the person exerting pressure on other gang members to commit the crime. Afterward, he bragged about the shooting and celebrated by obtaining new gang tattoos. Finally, the State notes, the record reflects that, after this crime, defendant displayed a callous attitude and aided in other crimes.
¶ 23 We conclude that defendant’s sentence violates the eighth amendment and that he is entitled to a new sentencing hearing. The framework for sentencing juvenile defendants to life imprisonment has evolved since the trial court sentenced defendant here. Indeed, Miller was filed in June 2012, which is after the court sentenced defendant and ruled on his motion to reconsider the sentence. As such, the sentencing court was unable to consider defendant’s youth and attendant circumstances under the framework that has since developed in caselaw, as summarized above. Nor did it possess any discretion to impose less than a mandatory de facto life sentence. Critical to this case, and as we noted in our prior decision, the court was unable to apply any discretion concerning the mandatory firearm enhancements, but that now
¶ 24 We do not disagree with the State that, as delineated in its appellate brief, the court here was aware of defendant’s youth at the time of his crimes, and the record reflects facts and circumstances that may bear upon the relevant factors. The State emphasizes that, with his callous attitude and continued criminality after the crimes at issue, defendant is the rare juvenile whose irreparable corruption warrants his life sentence—thus, constitutional requirements were satisfied. Here, we must disagree. When the court considered defendant’s sentence, the relevant factors were not established.3 Mere general consideration of youth is a far cry from evaluating the relevant factors to find that defendant is that rare juvenile whose criminal conduct was indicative of irreparable corruption beyond the possibility of rehabilitation. See, e.g., Buffer, 2019 IL 122327, ¶ 41; Holman, 2017 IL 120655, ¶¶ 45-46. Indeed, a life sentence for a juvenile is appropriate only where that defendant is the “rare juvenile offender” whose crime reflects “irretrievable depravity, permanent incorrigibility, or irreparable corruption beyond the possibility of rehabilitation.” (Emphases added and internal quotation marks omitted.) Holman, 2017 IL 120655, ¶¶ 36, 46; Montgomery v. Louisiana, 577 U.S. ___, ___, 136 S. Ct. 718, 734 (2016). Moreover, the Court has clarified that it is not sufficient for a sentencing judge to merely “consider a juvenile offender’s youth”; rather, the penological justifications for a life sentence without parole entirely collapse for the juvenile offender, unless that offender is the “rare” child whose crime reflects more than “unfortunate yet transient immaturity.” (Internal quotation marks omitted.) Montgomery, 577 U.S. at ___, 136 S. Ct. at 734. While express findings of incorrigibility are not required (id. at ___, 136 S. Ct. at 735), sentencing courts must still “determine” and somehow express, after considering the defendant’s youth and the enumerated attendant circumstances, that “the defendant’s conduct showed irretrievable depravity, permanent incorrigibility, or irreparable corruption beyond the possibility of rehabilitation.” Holman, 2017 IL 120655, ¶ 46. The court did not make any of those findings here. Again, the court did not possess the yet-to-be-developed framework that now exists for considering defendant’s youth. Further, the trial court found that defendant had a relatively minor criminal history and was a “very nice” person and a gifted athlete in his early years. His behavior appeared to change after a custody modification, and he had a family who was impacted by the crime and sentence. Yet, the statutory sentencing scheme required the court to impose upon defendant a de facto life sentence.
¶ 25 In sum, as we recently noted in People v. Luna, 2020 IL App (2d) 121216-B, ¶ 29, all juveniles who are theoretically eligible for life sentences will have committed horrific crimes.
¶ 26 In sum, we affirm defendant’s conviction, vacate his sentence, and remand for resentencing in accordance with this decision.
III. CONCLUSION
¶ 28 For the foregoing reasons, the judgment of the circuit court of Kane County is affirmed in part and vacated in part. We remand the cause for resentencing.
¶ 29 Affirmed in part and vacated in part.
¶ 30 Cause remanded.