People v. West

PRESIDING JUSTICE LEWIS

delivered the opinion of the court:

Defendant, Dwight West, appeals his convictions by a jury for the offenses of arson (720 ILCS 5/20 — 1 (West 1992)) and aggravated arson (720 ILCS 5/20 — 1.1 (West 1992)). On appeal, defendant contends (1) that the State’s expert witness should not have been allowed to testify as an expert on the cause and origin of the fire either (a) as a matter of public policy or (b) since the expert’s investigation was done in contravention of the Private Detective, Private Alarm, and Private Security Act of 1983 (225 ILCS 445/1 et seq. (West…