Dean v. People

Summary

The court held that the habitual-criminal sentencing and parole-eligibility scheme, as applied to Dean, does not violate equal protection. Applying rational-basis review, it concluded that the legislature rationally differentiated offenders according to the seriousness of their triggering offense and criminal history, and that parole-eligibility timing is not controlling when comparing the relative severity of sentences. The court affirmed and remanded only for correction of the mittimus.