People v. Summers

Defendant, Louis Summers, was convicted by a jury of first degree murder. His 19-month-old stepson, Ryan, was the victim. On appeal, defendant contends that (1) his conviction for first degree murder should be reduced to involuntary manslaughter, (2) the trial court improperly instructed the jury, (3) the trial court improperly admitted evidence of “other crimes,” and (4) he was denied the effective assistance of counsel.

We affirm.

I

On December 30, 1988, a caseworker with the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), Janice Turkington, visited defendant’s home in order to take Cindy…