People v. Thomas

Defendant was convicted in May 2009, after jury trial, of criminal sexual assault of his 14-year-old stepdaughter. Court took judicial notice of and stated to jury that Defendant had failed to appear for his final pretrial hearing in 2006, arrest warrant was issued, and he was arrested in January 2009 trying to enter U.S. from Mexico and extradited to Illinois. Court did not err, as facts stated are probative as to Defendant's guilt, and jury heard argument that circumstances other than consciousness of guilt, may have triggered Defendant's departure from U.S. Court relied upon documents furnished by sister jurisdiction, and no indication that court was mistaken as to facts stated. (STEIGMANN and POPE, concurring.)