http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/n...100608.article

This time around, a North Chicago man admitted that he sexually
assaulted three girls.

James Lezine, 46, appeared Monday before Lake County Circuit Judge John
Phillips for a new sentencing. The Illinois Appellate Court ruled that
he must serve consecutive sentences, not concurrent sentences.
» Click to enlarge image
Lezine

A jury found Lezine guilty of multiple counts of predatory criminal
sexual assault and of multiple counts of aggravated criminal sexual
abuse. Lezine was originally sentenced to 27 years in prison.

"I have treated this (new) sentence as if we were doing this for the
first time," Phillips told Lezine.

Phillips went on to sentence him to 47 years in prison and three years
of parole.

Lezine committed offenses against three 8- to 12-year-old girls in Round
Lake Park and Zion between 2001 and 2006, according to Assistant State's
Attorney Mary Stanton.

Defense attorney Art Kessler called in six of Lezine's family members to
speak on his behalf. Many of them described him as a "good person at
heart" and said that Lezine "took good care" of his children and other
relatives.

Kessler asked Phillips to sentence Lezine to 12 years in prison, the
minimum. Kessler pointed out that Lezine's children will grow up without
their father and said that the mother of one of the victims wrote Lezine
a letter saying she forgave him.

Kessler also said that his client will never have a normal life because
he will be registered as a sex offender.

"He will be paying for these acts for the rest of his life. His
punishment will go well beyond whatever the court sentences him to,"
Kessler said.

Lezine admitted to county professionals that he had committed the acts
the jury found him guilty of, Phillips acknowledged.

"To people in your life, you've been good to some of them but to others,
you've been very, very bad," Phillips said.

Lezine apologized to one of the victims when he addressed the court. He
also said that he has been attacked while he has been in prison.

He also talked about serving time in the Louisiana Department of
Corrections from 1982 to 1989.

Since his recent incarceration, Lezine said he's been taking courses and
trying to improve himself.

"I'm trying to get the help I need. I know I have to do time," Lezine said.