People v. Brown

Larry Brown, 19 years old, and two teenage co-defendants were indicted for the murder of A. D. Church. A severance was granted Brown because of antagonistic defenses. He was tried by a jury, found guilty and sentenced to the penitentiary. Of the many assignments of error, two compel the reversal of his conviction: prejudicial argument by the prosecutor and an improper jury instruction.

Brown and two companions confronted A. D. Church at the corner of 46th Place and St. Lawrence Avenue, Chicago, about 9:00 P.M., September 24, 1967. One of the youths asked for money and Church replied he did not…