People v. Beard

PRESIDING JUSTICE CAMPBELL

delivered the opinion of the court:

Following a jury trial, defendant, Johnnie Beard, was convicted of retail theft and sentenced to two years’ probation. On appeal, defendant contends that: (1) he was denied his statutory and constitutional rights to a speedy trial; (2) the trial court’s refusal to dismiss the jury venire consisting of only one African-American prospective juror violated his constitutional right to a jury drawn from a fair cross-section of the community; and (3) the trial court erred in refusing to allow defense counsel to cross-examine a police…