The Third District Appellate Court of Illinois has upheld the thirty-year sentence for Martavious Robinson, a juvenile at the time of a 2019 armed vehicular hijacking in Downers Grove, confirming the decisions made by a lower court, according to DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin's office. Robinson's sentencing came after a series of carjackings that terrorized two communities, one involving a mother and her daughter during Thanksgiving, and another targeting a pregnant woman in her driveway.
During the appeal, Robinson argued that the circuit court misapplied the sentencing range, but the appellate court found no merit in his claims. The ruling stated, "There is no indication on the record that the Court believed the firearm enhancement was mandatory." The judges, Justice Hettel, alongside Justices Peterson and Justice Davenport, concluded the sentencing was appropriate given the gravity of the crimes, noting the absence of mitigating evidence and Robinson’s apparent "disturbing enjoyment" of the events, the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office reported.
Robinson, who faced a potential six to forty-five years with an added firearm enhancement, received the thirty-year sentence after a two-day trial and jury conviction in 2023. The appellate decision buttresses the efforts of local authorities to hold individuals accountable for violent crimes that leave lasting impacts on communities. Berlin remarked on the court's decision, saying, "Their decision ensures that Mr. Robinson will be held fully accountable and his thirty-year sentence will stand," indicating the prosecution's satisfaction with the outcome.
While Robinson's sentence runs concurrently with that of one of his co-defendants, who received a thirty-six-year sentence, the other is still awaiting sentencing. The decision, championed by Steven Biagi of the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Criminal Appeals Division, reflects a significant milestone in the county's stance against violent carjackings. "The brazen actions of these defendants left two communities shaken and on edge, leaving residents worrying if they might be next," Berlin stated, acknowledging the distress that such crimes inflict on society as a whole.
