People v. Harris

Defendant, Robert Harris, was convicted of burglary and theft following a jury trial in the Circuit Court of La Salle County. The verdict on the theft conviction was vacated prior to sentencing. Defendant appeals, contending that there was a failure to prove his entry was unauthorized, that the giving of a jury instruction constituted reversible error, and that portions of the State’s closing arguments were improper and prejudicial.

The facts may be briefly summarized as follows. Rudy’s Market, a supermarket open 24 hours a day in Ottawa, Illinois, had become aware of shortages in the register…