People v. Martin

This is an appeal by the defendant, Joe Lee Martin, from the determination of the Circuit Court of Rock Island County finding the defendant guilty of rape, deviate sexual assault and burglary following a bench trial. In this appeal, the only issue raised is whether the trial court’s finding that the defendant was legally sane at the time of committing the charged offenses must be reversed as palpably erroneous where psychiatrists for both sides agreed that the defendant suffers from chronic schizophrenia and, in all likelihood, could not conform his conduct to legal requirements.

At the trial,…