The People v. Smith

Defendant, Ronald Smith, and one Ulysses Fladger were jointly indicted by the grand jury of the criminal court of Cook County for the crime of rape. Fladger was tried by jury and acquitted. The defendant was tried by the court without a jury, found guilty, and sentenced to the penitentiary for a term of 50 years.

The defendant’s principal claim is that the evidence was insufficient to establish his guilt. The complaining witness testified that as she was walking home from a friend’s house she was grabbed by two men who asked her if she had any money or “reefers”. She identified the defendant…