People v. Pickerel

Defendant, Louis Pickerel, was found guilty of murder after trial by jury in the circuit court of Peoria County and sentenced to a term of from 14 to 45 years in the penitentiary. On this appeal he raises two issues: one, whether his intoxication rendered his oral confession involuntary; and, two, whether his intoxication negated the existence of the mental state necessary to support a murder conviction.

We have reviewed the evidence and it is our judgment it was sufficient to support both the finding the confession was voluntary and the finding defendant’s intoxication failed to negate the…