People v. Best

Mr. PRESIDING JUSTICE HARTMAN

delivered the opinion of the court:

Defendant was convicted in a jury trial of deviate sexual assault, rape, burglary and armed violence. Defendant’s appeal raises as issues whether: the State’s inquiry into defendant’s opinion concerning the veracity of the State’s witnesses constitutes plain error; defendant’s conviction for rape must be vacated because it was the underlying offense for the armed violence conviction; and defendant’s sentences were excessive. For the following reasons, we affirm.

The victim testified that on March 23, 1978, she lived in a…