People v. Spencer

After a bench trial, defendant was convicted and sentenced to eight years for rape. He contends on appeal that (1) he was denied his constitutional right to confront witnesses against him because the complaining witness could not be adequately cross-examined; (2) the trial court erred in allowing the State to establish the elements of the crime by asking leading questions of the complaining witness; and (3) he was not proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

At trial, Edith McConnell (Edith), the 13-year-old sister of the complaining witness Diane McConnell (Diane), testified that when she…