People v. Banks

Mr. PRESIDING JUSTICE EGAN

delivered the opinion of the court:

Mary Louise Banks was convicted of the murder of Willie McNeal after a bench trial and sentenced to 15 to 25 years. The issues are whether the State proved her sanity at the time of the killing beyond a reasonable doubt and whether certain actions by the trial judge deprived her of a fair trial.

On December 9, 1970, at 10:00 A.M., Officer Robert Kussy received a call to investigate a homicide at 1934 West Jackson Boulevard in Chicago. He went to apartment 326 where he found the body of Willie McNeal lying on the floor behind the bed.…