People v. Givens

Following a jury trial, defendant Matthew Givens was convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to 60 years’ imprisonment. On appeal, defendant contends that his conviction should be reduced to involuntary manslaughter because his acts were merely reckless. Defendant also contends that his sentence is excessive. For the following reasons, we affirm.

On December 15, 1999, defendant pushed the victim, Keith Radloff, down a set of five stairs leading into Union Station in Chicago. Radloff landed headfirst onto a concrete landing and died shortly thereafter due to the severe injuries he…