Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner has signed a law prohibiting the use of the “gay panic” defense in murder cases.
SB 1761, which also bars defendants from submitting a “trans panic” defense, was unanimously passed by both the Illinois State Senate and House of Representatives back in June.
It bars attorneys from submitting as a defense that their client was threatened by the victim’s real or perceived sexual orientation. Being able to submit it as a defense at trial doesn’t automatically mean a jury or judge will buy it, but it has resulted in defendants being convicted of lesser charges, and been used as a mitigating factor in sentencing.