People v. Hayes

Following a jury trial, defendant Lawrence Hayes was found guilty of criminal sexual assault, aggravated criminal sexual assault and kidnapping. The trial court sentenced defendant to an extended term of 55 years’ imprisonment for aggravated criminal sexual assault and a concurrent term of 14 years’ imprisonment for kidnapping. On appeal, defendant contends that in closing argument the prosecutor improperly recited at length her personal experience of a near-rape; that the trial court erred in preventing any questioning of the victim in regard to a murder charge pending against her; that the…