New trial for man convicted of 2006 Rolling Meadows murder
A Chicago man's words during his sentencing hearing for a Rolling Meadows murder could prove prophetic now that an appellate court has granted him a new trial.
Convicted of the 2006 shooting death of aspiring rapper Marquis Lovings, Patrick Taylor insisted his life sentence would be overturned.
"You cannot hold Black Pat in jail," Taylor said during his 2011 sentencing. "I'll be back on appeal. I'm going to be back on the streets."
The appellate court granted Taylor a new trial last week because his attorneys were not allowed to introduce expert testimony about the reliability of eyewitness identification.
No physical evidence connected Taylor to the crime. But four eyewitnesses testified Taylor and another man entered the condo on Aug. 19, 2006, brandishing guns and demanding money and jewelry from Lovings, who prosecutors say made a lot of money selling marijuana.
Jurors deliberated about 3½ hours before returning a guilty verdict against Taylor, whose criminal history dates back to 1986. Past convictions include aggravated battery with a firearm stemming from a 1993 Markham home invasion and robbery.
After the appellate court initially upheld Taylor's conviction in 2014, he appealed to the Illinois Supreme Court. While his appeal was pending, the Illinois Supreme Court ruled earlier this year in People v. Lerma that defense attorneys should have an opportunity to introduce expert testimony about the reliability of eyewitnesses.
The Illinois Supreme Court's opinion in that case found research on eyewitness identifications "is well-settled, well-supported and in appropriate cases a perfectly proper subject for expert testimony."
Taking its cue from the higher court, the Illinois appellate court found Taylor's to be "a case where expert eyewitness testimony would have been relevant and appropriate."
A date for Taylor's retrial has not been set. He remains in Illinois Department of Corrections custody.