People v. Baptist

Following a jury verdict of guilty, defendant was convicted, in the circuit court of Cook County, of the offenses of murder and attempted armed robbery in connection with the shooting death of Sam Blue. He was sentenced to 60 to 80 years in the penitentiary. The appellate court reversed (63 Ill. App. 3d 953), and we granted the State leave to appeal.

The State contests both of the appellate court’s alternative grounds for reversal of defendant’s conviction, which were: (1) the trial court erred in allowing testimony of a prosecution witness regarding the contents of a letter which had not been…