Illinois Appellate Court
Criminal Court
Self-Defense
Defendant was convicted of second-degree murder and domestic battery and was sentenced to 15 years in prison. Defendant argued on appeal that no rational trier of fact could have found him guilty of second-degree murder beyond a reasonable doubt because he acted reasonably and with justification in using lethal force. The appellate court analyzed the case under section 7-2(a) of the Criminal Code regarding the defense of a dwelling, concluded that no rational trier of fact could have found defendant’s use of force was not justified, and vacated his conviction for second-degree murder. (SCHMIDT and HAUPTMAN, concurring)