People v. Kinsloe

The defendant, Samuel Kinsloe, was accused of setting his wife, Laverne, on fire during a fight. At his trial, Laverne exonerated him. A jury found him guilty of heinous battery and aggravated battery, both premised upon the burning, but acquitted him of attempted murder. The trial judge sentenced him to 12 years’ imprisonment on the heinous battery conviction. He contends that the judge erred in admitting, as substantive evidence against him, pretrial, inculpatory statements allegedly made by Laverne. He further argues that absent those statements there was insufficient evidence to convict…