People v. West

On February 27, 1986, an indictment was filed in the circuit court of Cook County charging defendant, Paul West, with the murder of three-month-old Shardae Harris under sections 9 — 1(a)(1) and (a)(2) of the Criminal Code of 1961 (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1985, ch. 38, pars. 9 — 1(a)(1), (a)(2)). A jury found defendant guilty of murder on December 3, 1986, at the close of a three-day trial. The circuit court, however, granted defendant a new trial on January 15, 1987. On March 24, 1987, defendant was again found guilty as charged, following a bench trial. Pursuant to the State’s request for a death…