People v. Williams

Defendant, Jettie Williams, pied guilty to the attempted murder of the victim, Leroy Wade. The circuit court of Cook County accepted defendant’s guilty plea and, based thereon, convicted and sentenced defendant for that crime. Nearly five years later, the victim died. Defendant was then charged with the victim’s murder. At a preliminary hearing, the circuit court granted defendant’s motion in limine to bar the State from using the prior guilty plea to attempted murder as evidence at defendant’s murder trial.

The State appealed (145 Ill. 2d R. 604(a)(1)). The appellate court upheld the circuit…