People v. Breshears

Defendant was found guilty of four counts of criminal sexual assault and was sentenced to a to a total of eight years in prison on two counts. Defendant appealed challenging the sufficiency of the evidence and arguing that the trial court was not impartial. The appellate court affirmed, finding that the jury rationally found that defendant held a position of authority over the victim in his position as a martial arts instructor. The appellate court further concluded that while the trial court’s statements during sentencing were “inartful” they were also “well-intentioned” and did not indicate that the trial court was partial. (LANNERD and KNECHT, concurring)