Court Opinion

ID: 9739232
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 20:10:58.196689+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:24:10.855510
License: Public Domain

JUSTICE CLARK, concurring: I concur with the opinion of the court, but write separately to explain the differences between the instant case and People v. Jimerson (1989), 127 Ill. 2d 12. Defendant was convicted and sentenced to death for his role in the same gang rape and double homicide for which Verneal Jimerson was convicted and sentenced to death in a separate trial. I dissented in Jimerson, stating I would have reversed the defendant’s conviction because his counsel (1) failed to produce evidence that Paula Gray gave testimony, under oath, which exonerated Jimerson on four prior occasions; (2) failed to produce evidence that Gray was mentally retarded; and (3) did not offer Gray’s prior inconsistent statements as substantive evidence. (Jimerson, 127 Ill. 2d at 57 (Clark, J., dissenting).) The evidence in Jimerson was closely balanced in light of the defects in Gray’s testimony and the alibi evidence presented by Jimerson. Although the two cases relate to the same crimes, I believe the instant case is distinguishable from Jimerson. The only evidence which linked Jimerson to the crimes was the testimony of Paula Gray. While Gray was the only occurrence witness to testify in this case, she was not the only witness to implicate Williams. Charles McCraney testified that on the night of the murders, he saw Williams enter the apartment building in which Carol Scmal’s body was found. In addition, McCraney testified that on the day following the murders, he heard Williams make incriminating statements.' McCraney also testified in Jimerson, but he was unable to place Jimerson at the scene of the crime. Further, unlike Jimerson, Williams did not offer any alibi evidence at his trial. Based on these distinctions, the case against Williams is stronger than that against Jimerson, and therefore I concur with the majority opinion affirming defendant’s conviction and sentence.