Opinion ID: 3134588
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 13

Heading: sufficiency of the evidence

Text: Defendant argues that the evidence was insufficient to prove him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Defendant contends that the jury would not have found him guilty had the jury not heard the improper other-crimes evidence, improper prior-threat evidence, and improper hearsay evidence. Defendant points out that he presented two alibi witnesses who stated that they were with him continuously on the night of the murders. Defendant argues that the only proper evidence that the State set forth was the identification testimony of TQ, and that this testimony was insufficient to convict defendant beyond a reasonable doubt. As a preliminary matter, we note that we have rejected defendant’s arguments regarding the improper admission of other-crimes evidence, prior-threat evidence, and hearsay evidence. We nevertheless address defendant’s argument regarding TQ’s identification of defendant as the shooter. Defendant challenges the credibility of TQ’s testimony. The principal witness for the State was TQ, who was 10 years old at the time of the murders. At trial, TQ identified defendant as the shooter. As discussed, TQ testified that she saw defendant in Natalie’s room at the foot of Natalie’s bed. When questioned by police on the night of the crimes, however, TQ claimed to have been asleep during the murders, and stated that she did not see the shooter. TQ told police 14 months after the murders that defendant was the shooter. She told the police this information while preparing to be a witness against defendant for the July 18, 1992, car ramming and shooting episode. At trial, TQ stated that she did not initially tell anyone that defendant was the shooter because she was afraid that defendant would kill her. Defendant argues that TQ’s testimony is so lacking in credibility that a reasonable doubt of defendant’s guilt remains. We disagree. Credibility of witnesses, the weight to be given their testimony, and reasonable inferences to be drawn from the evidence, are responsibilities of the trier of fact. People v. Steidl , 142 Ill. 2d 204, 226 (1991). A reasonable inference from the facts of this case is that a 10-year-old child would be unresponsive to police after witnessing a murder. It is also reasonable that, as time passed, and the shock of the murders diminished, TQ would be able to recount the events from the night of the crimes, and then be able to identify defendant. Furthermore, additional evidence supported TQ’s identification of defendant as the shooter. When questioned by police on the night of the murders, TQ claimed to have been asleep during the murders. However, the landlady, to whom TQ had run for help, testified that she heard TQ say, “[W]hy did Heavy shoot my mama?” The police suspected defendant of the crime and therefore took TQ with them in a car searching for defendant. Testimony revealed that when they passed defendant’s address, TQ crouched down in the car and said, “He gon see us.” When reviewing the sufficiency of the evidence in a criminal case, the relevant question is whether, after viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the State, any rational trier of fact could have found the essential elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt. People v. Collins , 106 Ill. 2d 237, 261 (1985). A review of the evidence in this case leads us to the conclusion that a rational trier of fact could have found the essential elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt.