People v. Lynch

Paul Lynch, Sr. (the defendant), shot Lester Howard in the head, and was tried for murder in the circuit court of Lake County. He claimed self-defense; the verdict was voluntary manslaughter. The circuit court, following People v. Wolski (1980), 83 Ill. App. 3d 17, excluded evidence of the victim’s three convictions for battery, because the defendant was unaware of them when he shot Howard. The appellate court affirmed in a Rule 23 order (87 Ill. 2d R. 23) on a different ground — -that the defendant waived the admissibility of those convictions by failing to make an offer of proof (117 Ill.…