People v. Wilson

Defendant, Sherman D. Wilson, was convicted by a jury of auto theft in violation of section 16 — 1(a)(1) of the Criminal Code (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1975, ch. 38, par. 16 — 1(a)(1)), and sentenced to a term of nine months in the House of Correction. He appeals contending, among other things, that the trial court failed to instruct the jury concerning the limited significance of evidence submitted by the State of his prior conviction for burglary.

Briefly, the relevant facts are that defendant testified at trial that he had not committed the theft. In rebuttal, the State’s attorney introduced a…