People v. Joyner

Defendant was tried in absentia in the circuit court of Macon County for the offense of burglary in violation of section 19 — 1(a) of the Criminal Code of 1961 (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1979, ch. 38, par. 19 — 1(a)). A jury convicted him of the offense and he was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment.

On appeal defendant challenges the composition of the jury which tried and convicted him; he further claims that the proof was insufficient to establish that he wilfully avoided trial, thus invalidating proceedings taken in his absence. No question of reasonable doubt has been raised and therefore we need…