People v. Thomas

*563The charges against the defendant and his brother Leonard Thomas stemmed from criminal acts which were allegedly perpetrated against the complainant in February 1984. As part of the People’s case, the prosecutor was permitted to introduce into evidence the defendant’s and the codefendant’s statements which were made to Deborah James, an individual known to the defendant and the codefendant. In their statements, the codefendant and the defendant implicated both themselves and each other. The statements were to the effect that the complainant was beaten by them and a third individual, Mark…