Jennifer Hudson - Jennifer Hudson's Estranged Brother-in-law Denied Appeal For Murders

Lawyers working for Balfour, who was found guilty of the 2008 killings in May (12), filed a request for a new trial last month (Jun12), but the motion was rejected by Cook County Circuit Judge Charles Burns when the case returned to court for sentencing on Tuesday (24Jul12).

He is expected to be handed down a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole later on Tuesday.

The Dreamgirls star, who attended every day of the trial, was also in court for the latest hearing in Illinois with her sister Julia, who split from Balfour in early 2008.

Julia Hudson discovered the bodies of her mum Darnell Donerson and brother Jason Hudson in the family home in October, 2008, while her seven-year-old son Julian King, was found shot dead in the back of an abandoned Suv (Sports Utility Vehicle) three days later.

Balfour, 31, was also convicted of charges of home invasion, residential burglary, possession of a stolen vehicle and aggravated kidnapping.