People v. Burgess

Defendant, then an HR Director, was convicted, after jury trial, of aggravated criminal sexual assault, criminal sexual assault, and unlawful restraint of a 15-year-old summer employee of his employer, and received concurrent sentences of 24, 15, and 3 years. As both sides presented testimony that witnesses for the other side were lying, and both sides argued in closing that their witnesses were more believable, comment made by State as to burden of proof, in rebuttal at closing, did not create substantial prejudice against Defendant. Court within its discretion in sentencing within statutory range, as court considered multiple factors and evidence showed that minor suffered psychological harm from assaults. (PALMER and REYES, concurring.)