Illinois Compiled Statutes - Full Text

  1. Home
  2. Legislation
  3. Illinois Compiled Statutes

Illinois Compiled Statutes - Full Text

Illinois Compiled Statutes (ILCS)

Updating the database of the Illinois Compiled Statutes (ILCS) is an ongoing process. Recent laws may not yet be included in the ILCS database, but they are found on this site as Public Acts soon after they become law. For information concerning the relationship between statutes and Public Acts, refer to the Guide.

Because the statute database is maintained primarily for legislative drafting purposes, statutory changes are sometimes included in the statute database before they take effect. If the source note at the end of a Section of the statutes includes a Public Act that has not yet taken effect, the version of the law that is currently in effect may have already been removed from the database and you should refer to that Public Act to see the changes made to the current law.


720 ILCS 5/8-4

    (720 ILCS 5/8-4) (from Ch. 38, par. 8-4)
    Sec. 8-4. Attempt.
    (a) Elements of the offense.
    A person commits the offense of attempt when, with intent to commit a specific offense, he or she does any act that constitutes a substantial step toward the commission of that offense.
    (b) Impossibility.
    It is not a defense to a charge of attempt that because of a misapprehension of the circumstances it would have been impossible for the accused to commit the offense attempted.
    (c) Sentence.
    A person convicted of attempt may be fined or imprisoned or both not to exceed the maximum provided for the offense attempted but, except for an attempt to commit the offense defined in Section 33A-2 of this Code:
        (1) the sentence for attempt to commit first degree
    
murder is the sentence for a Class X felony, except that
            (A) an attempt to commit first degree murder when
        
at least one of the aggravating factors specified in clauses (iii), (iv), and (v) of subsection (a)(1)(c) of Section 5-8-1 of the Unified Code of Corrections is present is a Class X felony for which the sentence shall be a term of imprisonment of not less than 20 years and not more than 80 years;
            (B) an attempt to commit first degree murder
        
while armed with a firearm is a Class X felony for which 15 years shall be added to the term of imprisonment imposed by the court;
            (C) an attempt to commit first degree murder
        
during which the person personally discharged a firearm is a Class X felony for which 20 years shall be added to the term of imprisonment imposed by the court;
            (D) an attempt to commit first degree murder
        
during which the person personally discharged a firearm that proximately caused great bodily harm, permanent disability, permanent disfigurement, or death to another person is a Class X felony for which 25 years or up to a term of natural life shall be added to the term of imprisonment imposed by the court; and
            (E) if the defendant proves by a preponderance of
        
the evidence at sentencing that, at the time of the attempted murder, he or she was acting under a sudden and intense passion resulting from serious provocation by the individual whom the defendant endeavored to kill, or another, and, had the individual the defendant endeavored to kill died, the defendant would have negligently or accidentally caused that death, then the sentence for the attempted murder is the sentence for a Class 1 felony;
        (2) the sentence for attempt to commit a Class X
    
felony is the sentence for a Class 1 felony;
        (3) the sentence for attempt to commit a Class 1
    
felony is the sentence for a Class 2 felony;
        (4) the sentence for attempt to commit a Class 2
    
felony is the sentence for a Class 3 felony; and
        (5) the sentence for attempt to commit any felony
    
other than those specified in items (1), (2), (3), and (4) of this subsection (c) is the sentence for a Class A misdemeanor.
(Source: P.A. 103-51, eff. 1-1-24.)