Appeals and Wrongful Convictions
At least 440 people from Cook County have been exonerated since 1989, according to the National Registry of Exonerations, far more than any other jurisdiction in the country. We report on the appeals and post-conviction claims of people who say they were wrongfully convicted.
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Despite its celebrated record of exonerating more people than any comparable unit nationwide, an Injustice Watch investigation found 21 people who were denied relief by the group before flawed evidence later led to their exonerations.
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More Appeals and Wrongful Convictions
Prosecutors drop charges against man whose murder conviction was based on legally blind witness
“This is the best Christmas gift ever,” said Nakesha Harris, whose son, Darien Harris, spent more than a decade in prison for a murder conviction based largely on the testimony of a witness who was legally blind.
Ronnie Carrasquillo is adjusting to freedom after nearly half a century in Illinois prisons
Carrasquillo came home in October after an appellate court ruled his 200-to-600-year sentence was excessive, and his numerous applications for parole were unfairly denied. Now, Carrasquillo is enjoying his family, learning technology, and speaking out about his case.
Judge overturns murder conviction that was based on eyewitness who was legally blind
Prosecutors said they plan to retry Darien Harris, who was sentenced to 76 years in prison for a 2011 murder in Woodlawn based on the eyewitness testimony of a man who it was later discovered was legally blind.
Appellate court throws out ‘excessive sentence’ for Chicago man denied parole over 30 times
Ronnie Carrasquillo will be resentenced after 46 years in prison after an appellate court panel ruled he has not been given a ‘meaningful’ opportunity for parole by the state’s Prisoner Review Board. The ruling follows a 2017 Injustice Watch series, “The Long Wait,” which examined the board’s opaque process.
After 34 years, a murder conviction quietly reversed in 4 minutes
James Allen, convicted of three murders on scant evidence, remains a long way from freedom.
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