People v. Lighting

Defendant was found guilty at a bench trial of murder and was sentenced to 15 to 20 years in the penitentiary. On this appeal he maintains the State failed to rebut his affirmative defense of compulsion and that the trial court erred in denying his pretrial motion to discover certain information allegedly in the possession of the State.

Defendant was indicted with Willie Saddle for the murder of Isabelle Simms on October 2, 1960. In January of 1961, defendant was found to be mentally defective and unable to cooperate with counsel, and was confined to the Illinois State Security Hospital.…