Illinois Appellate Court reverses conviction for violation of right to counsel

The appellate court of Illinois (second district) has just issued an opinion in which it reversed a conviction because the trial judge frailed to admonish the defendant of his right to counsel before allowing him to represent himself. For this reason, the Court held that the trial court deprived the defendant of his right to counsel at a critical stage of the proceedings and remanded the case for a new trial. The case is called People v. Vernón and is available here.