People v. Trotter

Following a bench trial, the defendant was convicted of murder, and sentenced to imprisonment of not less than 20 years and not more than 60 years.

This appeal requires resolution of three questions: first, was the admission of hearsay evidence prejudicial to defendant; second, was a letter opener which might have been the murder weapon properly admitted into evidence; third, was clothing of the defendant admitted into evidence seized incident to a valid arrest. All three questions are answered by this court in the affirmative.

The homicide occurred in the early morning of Christmas Day 1971.…