People v. Drummond

The defendant, James Drummond, appeals his conviction for murder (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1977, ch. 38, par. 9 — 1(a)(1)) before a jury of his peers in the circuit court of St. Clair County on May 23,1979. The central issue at trial and on appeal involves the affirmative defense of insanity. Drummond maintains that it was error for the court below to refuse his tendered instructions regarding insanity based upon pertinent evidence presented at trial and that it was erroneous to deny the admission in evidence of lay opinion testimony concerning the defendant’s sanity prior to the shooting. It is also…