People v. Lenley

“[P]roof of other crimes, unrelated to those alleged in the charging instrument, cannot be introduced merely to show a propensity for criminal wrongdoing.” People v. Hale, 326 Ill. App. 3d 455, 462, 762 N.E.2d 59, 65 (2001), citing People v. Lindgren, 79 Ill. 2d 129, 137, 402 N.E.2d 238, 242 (1980).

This well-settled principle, as a general rule, bans rather persuasive evidence of someone’s guilt from the State’s arsenal of proof. However, if a prosecutor can find some legitimate issue that presents a need to admit evidence of other criminality, the State can use it, even though a clear and…