Because the same trial judge presided over that jury trial and the defendant's sentencing hearing in the instant case, he had direct and intimate knowledge of the evidence presented at that trial, which included, inter alia, the testimony of two women that they had been repeatedly raped by the defendant in unrelated incidents. See People v. Joseph, 2021 IL App (1st) 171026-U, ¶ 2. Moreover, for five years, the same trial judge presided over the defendant's pretrial litigation in four other cases all involving sexual assault charges.
¶ 2 Codefendant Leondo has filed his own appeal and is not a party to this one. See People v.Joseph, 2021 IL App (1st) 171026-U. Here, defendant LB claims the trial court failed to question the prospective jurors in compliance with Illinois Supreme Court Rule 431(b) (eff. July 1, 2012) and that the error, while unpreserved, warrants reversal because the evidence was closely balanced.