People v. Colon

Following a jury trial in the circuit court of Cook County, defendant, Jose Colon, was found guilty of first degree murder. He was subsequently sentenced to 50 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections. The appellate court reversed the judgment of the circuit court (249 Ill. App. 3d 141), with one justice dissenting, and we granted the State leave to appeal pursuant to Supreme Court Rule 315 (134 Ill. 2d R. 315). The State relies upon four points for reversal of the appellate court’s decision: (1) that evidence concerning defendant’s gang membership and certain facts relating to gang…