First off - I loved all your comments on DVR! The cable man came and set it up this morning and I'm good to go! I already have Biggest Loser and The Good Wife set to record for tonight since I have stupid class that causes me to miss both of them.
I am so excited about it!
Now... on to what is on my mind today. For my clinic at school I am working on a case. It's a guy who is currently doing 40 years for first-degree murder (he's accused of being the lookout), but he is innocent. The only evidence against him was a confession he signed after being coerced by the police after 30+ hours in custody without a lawyer or his mother (he was only 16 years old and this was in the days of known coercion and torture by the Chicago Police). There are lots more details that I could give to tell you about how awful it is, but I won't.
Tomorrow morning we find out if we get an evidentiary hearing.
If we do we will be busy busy busy preparing to show the judge evidence that he's innocent. If we convince the judge, we can get him a new trial and hopefully get him out of jail! If the judge doesn't grant the hearing, we go to work on an appeal.
This client has been in jail for 17 years and I would LOVE for his mom to be able to call him with good news after tomorrow morning.
I'm all for putting people in jail... as long as they are guilty. And I would love to get this guy OUT!
Can you imagine doing 17 years in jail for something you didn't do? Or can you imagine being his mother? I spoke to her this morning... she has stood by her son all these years. Can you imagine going to hearing after hearing and being shut down by the court, when you knew your son was innocent? Can you imagine still having hope after failed appeals?
I certainly can't, and I hope I never have to...
I cant imagine. If I were his mom I would have that jittery/anxious/angry feeling (do you know what I am talking about?) all the time. Knowing he was innocent but having to go through the red tape over and over not being garunteed anything will change.
ReplyDeleteHorrid.
Good luck!
That is no life at all (him & his mother). Sounds like he's truly innocent. What a horrible way to spend your life knowing you did nothing wrong.
ReplyDeletejust found your blog, I took a law class as an elective and found this post interesting! such an awful situation.
ReplyDeleteRead Dreams of Ada or The Innocent Man (same story, but they follow different co-defendants).
ReplyDeleteThat's simply awful & heartbreaking :(
ReplyDeleteI can't even imagine. So sad and so scary!
ReplyDeleteSounds very anxiety ridden given what's at stake. Good luck, LF!
ReplyDeleteI can't even imagine! Good luck!!!!
ReplyDeleteAs a criminal defense lawyer, I see this more frequently than most people realize. Helping people just like this make my job rewarding. Sounds like you might be a budding defense lawyer yourself!
ReplyDeletethis isn't the capital punishment clinic still is it? seems to me that dragging these kind of trials/appeals out for so many years would be considered against the defendant's constitutional rights.
ReplyDeleteBest to you, I know you will come through. I agree, put the guilty in jail forever, but not those who are innocent.
ReplyDeleteWow, poor guy!!! I can't even imagine. Good luck with your case I hope he gets out of jail :-)
ReplyDeleteGood luck with this case. I can't imagine what that Mom feels like...that would be horrible, to say the least.
ReplyDeleteGood luck! He's lucky to have you on his side!
ReplyDeleteGood luck to you. Hearing his situation just makes me sick to my stomach.
ReplyDeleteheart breaking...
ReplyDeletego check out my blog for a little something! (likeacomfypairofjeans.blogspot.com)
I cannot imagine whatsoever. This really made me think tonight. I have heard many stories with the opposite scenario and this just breaks my heart. I have a couple friends that are lawyers andI relly admire what they do especially when they have cases like this.
ReplyDeleteBest wishes.
Anyhow...I look forward to following to following your blog. Come on by to my blog. I am doing two giveaways right now the InStyler giveaway and also an iPod Nano!
Good luck with this case. He is lucky to have someone as passionate as you behind him. I hope he is freed
ReplyDeleteDon't mean to jump the shark, but what's the latest? Did y'all get the evidentiary hearing?
ReplyDelete