Illinois Appellate Court
Criminal Court
Jury Selection
Defendant was convicted, after jury trial, of aggravated battery of a child. Court erred in failing to ask venire, per Rule 431(b), if they understood that Defendant had no burden of proving her innocence, and that her failure to testify should not be held against her. Court improperly restricted cross-examination of State's witnesses about available methods of taking a statement from Defendant, as part of relevant circumstances of Defendant's statement which State put in evidence. (PUCINSKI, concurring; MASON, dissenting.)