Dec. 9 – Chicago Daily Law Bulletin
Professor Timothy O’Neill authored column:
Jurors ask such stupid questions—which is pretty much the message of a recent case from the 1st District Appellate Court, People v. Donnell Turman. 954 N.E.2d 845 (Ill.App. 1st Dist. 2011). After several hours of deliberations in a criminal sexual assault case, the jury sent out a note asking for a “more explicit, expansive definition of reasonable doubt.” The reason they needed to ask, of course, is that Illinois refuses to define “reasonable doubt” for the jury.
