HB3238 Summary

• Establishes criteria allowing the Illinois Supreme Court to reduce sentences for individuals convicted of first degree murder who were victims of domestic abuse committed by the murdered person.

• Requires the convicted person to have been tried, sentenced, or pled guilty before the effective date of the federal Battered Women's Testimony Act of 1992.

• Requires written documentation of abuse prior to the bill's enactment, including civil or criminal court records, police reports, notarized statements, or witness statements.

• Allows eligible petitioners to request sentence reduction to the maximum non-extended term sentence available at the time of the original offense, with the Supreme Court required to review petitions within 60 business days.

• Exempts petitions filed under this new law from the standard 2-year limitation period in the Code of Civil Procedure for relief from judgments.