People v. Patton

Defendant, James Dean Patton, appeals both from his convictions after a jury trial of first-degree murder, aggravated battery to a child, and cruelty to a child and from his sentence of 55 years’ imprisonment imposed by the circuit court of St. Clair County on the first-degree murder conviction. No sentences were imposed on the convietions for aggravated battery to a child and cruelty to a child. We affirm in part and vacate in part.

At approximately midnight on March 7, 1989, the Belleville police department received a call about a burglary/homicide at defendant’s residence. When the officers…