A Streator man serving 80 years for murder wants a do-over trial. Malcolm Whitfield will make his case at a May 1 hearing.

Malcolm Whitfield, 32, made a brief appearance Friday in La Salle County Circuit Court on his motion to reconsider. Chief Judge H. Chris Ryan Jr. agreed to hear Whitfield’s bid for new trial and set a court date for the first of May.

There were no arguments entered Friday in open court; but Whitfield and his lawyer, Public Defender Ryan Hamer, had filed a motion citing three grounds for reversal.

First, the jury failed to consider Whitfield’s self-defense argument. Second and third, the judge failed to consider Whitfield’s rehabilitative potential and overly considered the injuries to those who survived the shooting.

Even if Whitfield doesn’t prevail at the May 1 hearing, he will have at least exhausted his options at trial court and cleared the way for an appeal.

Whitfield was developed as a suspect in the shooting that killed Shaquita Kelly and injured two others. A jury rejected Whitfield’s claim that he acted in self-defense and convicted him of first-degree murder.

At sentencing, Ryan made a key finding that extended Whitfield’s prison time: One of the survivors, Kelly’s 20-year-old daughter, sustained great bodily harm.

That finding resulted in a 20-year sentence for aggravated battery with a firearm to be served atop Whitfield’s 60-year sentence for murder. Even a limited reversal on the finding of great bodily harm could significantly reduce Whitfield’s sentence.

Barring a reversal, Whitfield is ineligible for release until 2117.