Illinois Appellate Court
Criminal Court
Jury Instructions
Jury asked for legal definition of the term "reasonable doubt", during deliberations in retail theft trial. Court properly responded that "it is for you to determine", as no definition of reasonable doubt should be given to jury. No evidence that there is a reasonable likelihood that Defendant's due process rights were violated by court's instructions, absent any evidence that jury applied lesser standard that proof beyond a reasonable doubt. (SPENCE, concurring; HUDSON, specially concurring.)