People v. Petty

This is an appeal by the State from an order of the circuit court of Montgomery County suppressing certain incriminating admissions made by defendant, William Petty. The issue on appeal is whether defendant effectively waived his constitutional rights, especially his right to the presence of counsel, prior to his making these admissions so as to make these statements admissible.

A five-count information was filed October 8, 1975, charging this 81-year-old defendant with various acts of sexual misconduct involving an eight-year-old girl. The exact nature of these charges is unknown to this…