People v. Washington

A jury convicted defendant Cornelius Washington of first degree murder, aggravated criminal sexual assault, and home invasion. He was sentenced to natural life in prison for the murder, with concurrent 60-year sentences for the other two crimes. Defendant contends in this appeal that he did not receive a fair trial because (1) the prosecutor commented, without substantiation, that the reason the State’s witnesses did not come forward immediately and their testimony differed from their initial statements to police was that they were afraid of defendant; (2) the circuit court abused its…