3 years, 4 months ago by Scott Hardy
Illinois 4th Circuit Court of Appeals rules Gavin Masters can appeal 115-year sentence
A Quincy man, convicted on counts of 1st Degree Murder and Attempted 1st Degree Murder in a July 4, 2015 shooting, will have a chance to argue that his 115-year sentence was too harsh.
The Illinois Court of Appeals ruled late last month that Gavin Masters will have another chance to argue for a shorter sentence in Adams County Circuit Court. Last year, Masters had appealed in Adams County, saying that the sentence violated his 8th Amendment rights, and the Illinois Constitution. Courts have ruled that juveniles can't be sentenced to what's called de facto life sentences. Masters argued that at the time of the murder, when he was 18, he was less mature and had an underdeveloped sense of responsibility, and was more vulnerable to negative influences. Judge Robert Adrian dismissed the appeal as frivolous. In its' ruling, the Appeals Court said that Masters's appeal had "met the low bar of stating a gist of a constitutional claim".
That appeal will now be re-heard in Adams County. A hearing date hasn't been set. The full ruling is available below.
