Codefendants who are ultimately convicted of different crimes are not construed as "similarly situated." People v. Martinez, 372 Ill. App. 3d 750, 760, 867 N.E.2d 24, 32-33 (2007); People v. Lusietto, 316 Ill. App. 3d 143, 146, 736 N.E.2d 689, 692 (2000). Therefore, defendant and C.T. were not similarly situated, and their sentences were not disparate.
However, "[c]odefendants are not similarly situated if they have been convicted of different crimes." People v. Lusietto, 316 Ill. App. 3d 143, 146 (2000). Further, "it has been firmly established that the sentence of a codefendant or accomplice pursuant to the entry of a plea in return for his or her testimony, provides no valid basis for comparison."
Plain error occurs when a defendant is denied a fair trial or in a trial where the evidence is closely balanced. 134 Ill. 2d R. 615(a); People v. Lusietto, 316 Ill. App. 3d 143, 145, 736 N.E.2d 689 (2000). We find that plain error occurred in this case as the evidence was closely balanced.