People v. Donaldson

Following a jury trial in the circuit court of Cook County, Byron Donaldson was convicted of attempted murder, armed violence, and three charges of aggravated battery. He was sentenced to serve five concurrent nine-year terms. On appeal the appellate court, in a Rule 23 order, vacated the conviction and sentence on one of the counts of aggravated battery and affirmed the other convictions (90 Ill. App. 3d 1198). We granted the People’s petition for leave to appeal. 73 Ill. 2d R. 315.

On November 10, 1978, Donaldson and Greg Smith, a codefendant, pursued Otis Matthews into a public bus. The…