People v. Smylie

James Smylie was charged by information with the murder of Lawrence Sanders. After a jury trial, Smylie was found guilty of murder and sentenced to 25 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections. Defendant appeals, asserting: (1) he was denied a fair trial by the trial court’s limitation of defense counsel’s cross-examination of two police officers; (2) he was denied due process and a fair trial by the State’s improper closing argument; (3) he was denied a fair trial when the trial court admitted into evidence a number of prejudicial photographs of the decedent; and (4) he was not proved…