People v. Washington

A jury found defendant, Charles Washington, guilty of murder and armed violence. (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1977, ch. 38, pars. 9—1, 33A—2.) The armed-violence conviction was dismissed, and defendant received a 28-year sentence for murder. Defendant contends that he was denied effective assistance of counsel due to his counsel’s conflict of interest in simultaneously serving as city prosecutor for Chicago Heights, a municipality with considerable connection to the Chicago offense for which defendant was prosecuted. Defendant also contends that the State failed to prove him guilty beyond a reasonable…