Illinois Appellate Court
Criminal Court
Possession of Weapons
Defendant was convicted, after jury trial, of attempted 1st degree murder and armed robbery. A reasonable trier of fact could find that Defendant possessed a gun during the robbery, soon after he grabbed victim's phone and ran away. Three witnesses testified that they saw Defendant holding a gun and heard 3 or 4 gunshots, 2 of which hit a victim. As evidence was not closely balanced, Defendant was not prejudiced by court's error in failing to ask potential jurors whether they understood the Zehr principles, per Rule 431(b). (MIKVA and CONNORS, concurring.)