For nearly 26 years, the affidavit was sealed in an envelope and stored in a locked box, tucked away with the lawyer’s passport and will. Sometimes he stashed the box in his bedroom closet, other times under his bed.
It stayed there — year after year, decade after decade…
It said…an innocent man was behind bars. His name was Alton Logan. He did not kill a security guard in a McDonald’s restaurant in January 1982.
“In fact,” the document said, “another person was responsible…”
But, the ethics of lawyer-client privilege – as defined by the great state of Illinois in the Land of Justice for All – allowed two public defenders to keep hidden the evidence that could free an innocent man.
#30 “I can see an underground business spring up with people giving false confessions under seal of immunity.”
It already exists. They are called “Jailhouse Snitches”. There have been many cases were police fed a snitch info so they can claim in court to have heard a jailhouse confession.
I don’t known if you remember the notorious case of “Mr. White”, a snitch that demonstrated to a LA Times reporter how he was able to get inside info about any cellmate in order to manufacture a confession. He would then leverage that into getting him off for whatever offense he was in jail for. In his case, he just took advantage of the incompetence of the DA’s office.
Yet, in case after case, the DA used Mr. White and his magic ability to get criminals to confess to him in order to prosecute people. They never questioned why until Mr. White decided to brag to a reporter.
#30, Bobbo,
Ok, maybe “knows” is a bad choice of words if you wish to play semantics. If a cop or prosecutor fails to follow through on a line of evidence because they are afraid of where it might lead is just as bad as knowing. Too often a “person of interest” becomes the focus to the exclusion of all else.
I think we are on the same page with this, just maybe different paragraphs.
#31, Ron,
Good point.
Hmmmm so much for the “good ole boy” conspiracy knowledge seen with my own eyes and ears! How odd and strange everyone is buying into some mere ethical clause over the decisions of an innocent man’s freedom! Caged like a wild animal, large costly legal expenses, exposed to public ridicule and hatred! So much for the lawyer jokes everyone finds humerous! It’s okay to claim incompetent legal representation without a lawyer getting a slap or scratch on his record or disbarred! It’s okay for lawyers to talk back and forth to cops, judges and other court workers! But God for bid a client speaks and this dude gets the duct tape, super glue and a strong box out and seals it away? Oh my God, what a demanding word for a lawyer to scream out and silently beg to be called an “asshole” and clouds it to be an ethical hero? Justice vs. Communist tactics of false explainations? Still the same; the finger nails are ripped out and are not growing back!!!
I need help, but in this case it is the D.A. office who hid alot of evidence. They had the real suspect and they and the police covered and kept evidence that would prove my son inoccent. The dna alone would have proved my son inoccent since they say that is what proves them inoccent. I would like to know who can help me and get the real person that did the crime. A police informant,he was protected by the police and D.A. he is free when he should be in prison. They proved he was there with DNA. And they have a tape where police are telling what to say. They kept it from the jury, they didn’t let them hear it.There are lots of things they did. I need to talk to someone and tell them everything. Please help me, my son is inocennt, HELP ME< HELP ME PLEASE
#34–Connie==your son has an attorney, court appointed or otherwise. He has a duty to make sure everything you say is presented to the judge/jury. Talk to him about how to get this evidence before the judge. If he won’t do it, then find another attorney who will. Absent that, less effectively you go to the newspapers or file complaints with the Office of the DA.
You will need to present the facts in a very logical, verifiable way, that can be explained by the lawyers.
Failing that, go to lawschool, become a lawyer, and file appeals. I’ve seen several movies lately on the LifeTime channel where that was the plot.