Appellate court finds lineup was too suggestive if only one suspect had dreadlocks, a face tattoo, and wore dark hoodie, string pants and white shoes — which matched the description of the suspect.
Less than Life
Illinois Supreme Court rules that 41-year term for juvenile offender amounts to life
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The Illinois Supreme Court unanimously ruled in a landmark decision Thursday that a 41-year sentence for a juvenile offender constitutes the equivalent of a life term.The decision triggers sentencing protections for juvenile offenders who are sentenced to more than 40 years in prison.
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DuPage prosecutors drop murder charges from 2002 toddler death
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The DuPage County State’s Attorney’s office on Wednesday dropped murder charges against a man who spent nearly 17 years in custody for beating to death his girlfriend’s two-year-old son before his conviction was overturned last summer based on doubts about his guilt.
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Ill. appeals court upholds conviction, rejects alleged errors by trial judge
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An Illinois Appellate Court panel upheld last week the conviction of Oscar Flores on murder and attempted murder charges, brushing aside contentions by Flores’ attorney that his retrial was again marred by rulings of Cook County Circuit Judge Maura Slattery Boyle.
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Firefighter acquitted of arson; defense contends case built on racial animus
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A south suburban Cook County firefighter was acquitted of committing arson on a bar he owned. The defense contended that the state had brought a false case, and contended the investigator had expressed racial comments in the past to the defendant.
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In two cases, Illinois appeals judges split on protections in criminal cases
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Illinois appellate judges uphold an armed robbery conviction, overturn a gun conviction. In both cases, judges spar over the need to protect public safety against the need to protect against unlawful convictions and flawed evidence.
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If Illinois defendants never told jury of their own abuse, now a second chance
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Illinois legislature passed an amendment in 2016 giving victims of domestic violence the chance to present the abuse as a basis for mitigating sentences for crimes they committed. After initial resistance by Cook County prosecutors, that office is now taking an expansive interpretation of whether victims of abuse that was relevant to their crimes can win relief.
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Committee votes end use of controversial Cook County gang database
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Cook County board committee unanimously supports ending county database of alleged gang members. The action was pushed by community groups who long contended the data was unreliable and caused lasting harm to those listed. The ordinance now goes to the county board for a vote Thursday.
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Indiana seeks to uphold conviction after hypnosis bolstered identification
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The State of Indiana is fighting to uphold an attempted murder conviction in which the key witness’s identification was bolstered after he went to hypnosis. The prosecutor in that case, who downplayed the importance of that session and allegedly sought to keep it secret, is now an Indiana judge.
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Can prosecutors withhold evidence of innocence before guilty plea?
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George Alvarez pleaded guilty to assaulting a police officer before a video emerged that painted a different picture. But a federal appellate court said the prosecutor had no duty to alert Alvarez of the video before his plea.
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U.S. Court tosses Indiana conviction based on hypnosis of eyewitness
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The 1993 attempted murder conviction was based on the word of the victim’s identification, with little supporting evidence. The trial prosecutor did not reveal that he had subjected the victim to hypnosis to win a positive identification; in fact, the federal appeals court wrote in its opinion last week, the prosecutor deliberately sought to conceal that fact.