The People of the State of Illinois, Appellant v. Vernon Ross, Appellee

Summary

The court held that a postconviction court may authorize a defendant to file a late notice of appeal when ineffective assistance of counsel caused the loss of the defendant's direct appeal. It also held that the State failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the pellet gun was a dangerous weapon because the evidence did not establish that it was loaded, operable, used as a bludgeon, or capable of such use. The court therefore affirmed the appellate court's judgment directing entry of a robbery conviction and resentencing.