THE FOLLOWING RELEASE IS FROM THE VERMILION COUNTY STATE’S ATTORNEY’S OFFICE
People v. Marcus Batts 2025-CF-210
On July 3, 2025, Marcus Batts (DOB: 7/20/1998), formerly of Danville, Illinois, pleaded guilty to Unlawful Possession of Weapon by a Felon, a class 2 felony. Batts was sentenced to 9 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections, and will serve a term of 1 year mandatory supervised release following his incarceration.
The People presented evidence that on March 25, 2025, an officer with the Danville Police Department attempted to conduct a traffic stop for a violation of the vehicle code. Marcus Batts was the driver of the vehicle. Instead of stopping, Batts led police on a car chase, eventually turning into an alleyway and the officer lost pursuit of the vehicle. Shortly thereafter, the vehicle was located and when the officer approached the vehicle, Batts fled on foot. The defendant was quickly apprehended and just before the police caught him, Batts threw a gun over a fence which was recovered by police. The officer also located a small bag of heroin on Batts’ person. Batts
has been previously convicted of a felony gun offense.
State’s Attorney Jacqueline Lacy thanked the Danville Police Department. She also said, “This defendant not only possessed a firearm unlawfully, but also showed blatant disregard for public safety by leading officers on a dangerous car chase through our city streets. We are grateful no one was hurt, and this sentence shows our continued commitment to holding repeat offenders accountable.”