People v. Allen

Defendant, William R. Allen, was convicted of murder following a jury trial in the circuit court of Winnebago County and was sentenced to the penitentiary for a term of 15 to 40 years. He appeals seeking reversal of the conviction, alleging that the trial court erred in denying him the right to interpose a plea of self-defense, viz., disallowing testimony of witnesses regarding the character and prior conduct of the victim that would “lend credence to the fact” that defendant acted in self-defense, refusing to give self-defense instructions and denying him the right to argue the same to the…