People v. Spates

Defendant, Tomppy Spates, appeals from his conviction of delivery of more than 30 grams of a controlled substance in violation of section 401(a)(2) of the Illinois Controlled Substances Act (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1983, ch. 56V2, par. 1401(a)(2)). He claims he was denied a fair trial in the circuit court because the assistant State’s Attorney who tried the case had instructed one of the witnesses not to answer several questions at a deposition taken in a related civil case, allegedly in violation of Supreme Court Rule 415(a) (87 Ill. 2d R. 415(a)).

The defendant was arrested on May 1, 1984, by…