People v. Trent

The defendant-appellant, James Trent, appeals his conviction in the Peoria County circuit court of first degree murder and aggravated battery of a child and the imposition of a sentence of natural life imprisonment without parole. This court must answer the following questions: (1) Did the defense counsel employ a strategy that constituted no defense and concede Trent’s guilt in closing argument, thereby denying Trent his right to effective assistance of counsel? (2) Did the circuit court abuse its discretion when it allowed (i) the State to display photographs of the victim during its…