People v. Illgen

Following a jury trial in the circuit court of Will County, the defendant, Eric James Illgen, was convicted of the murder of his wife, Linda, and was sentenced to a term of 30 years’ imprisonment. The appellate court, with one justice dissenting, reversed the defendant’s conviction and remanded the cause for a new trial. (204 Ill. App. 3d 701.) The majority of the appellate court concluded that the trial court improperly admitted testimony that the defendant had, in the past, physically abused the victim. The dissenting justice concluded that the testimony was admissible to establish the…