United States Seventh Circuit

Conviction and death sentence for charges including bank robbery and capital murder are affirmed where: 1) the government did not exercise its peremptory challenges in a discriminatory manner; 2) the district court did not abuse its discretion or violate defendant's Fifth and Eighth Amendment rights in allowing the government to introduce evidence of unadjudicated conduct at sentencing; 3) cross-examination by the government was either proper or was properly handled with a limiting instruction, and a statement made by the prosecution during closing arguments did not constitute reversible error on its own; and 4) there was no reversible error in the court's refusal to give a residual doubt instruction or to allow a residual doubt argument.

Appellate Information

• Argued 12/11/2006
• Decided 03/24/2008
• Published 03/24/2008

Judges

• ROVNER, Circuit Judge., Before ROVNER, WILLIAMS, and SYKES, Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States Seventh Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellees:
  
• Daniel L. Bella (argued), Office of the United States Attorney, Hammond, IN, for Plaintiff-Appellee., Alan M. Freedman (argued), Carol R. Heise, Evanston, IL, for Defendant-Appellant.