People v. Holmes

The central question raised by this appeal is whether the State should be required to produce a government informant for trial where that informant’s testimony could undermine the State’s case against the defendant.

On November 6, 1986, defendant, Louis Holmes, was indicted in the circuit court of Knox County on two counts of unlawful delivery of cannabis (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1985, ch. 56V2, pars. 705(c), (d)). The first count alleged that defendant sold cannabis to a police officer named Carl Powell in the presence of a government informant named Wayne Lee on February 25, 1986. The second count…