People v. Vilt

This is an appeal by the State from an order vacating the conviction of the defendant, Donald Vilt, for deviate sexual assault. The issues raised on appeal concern the following procedural sequence.

The defendant was charged in a four-count indictment with rape, aggravated kidnaping, and two counts of deviate sexual assault. One count of deviate sexual assault charged that the defendant sodomized the victim. The State called as a witness a woman who had previously been assaulted by the defendant in order to prove the defendant’s modus operandi. This witness, while testifying as to her…