Special ed student beat up until he confessed to a crime he didn't do

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-wrongful28.html

City to pay $9 mil. in wrongful conviction

The city agreed to pay $9 million to a Chicago man wrongfully convicted of raping and robbing an elderly woman in 1993, and to undertake what could be a massive review of practices at the old Chicago crime lab.

The investigation into lab procedures came to light as the city announced its settlement with Lafonso Rollins, 30, who spent 11-1/2 years in prison but was released after DNA evidence -- collected as part of an appeal Rollins filed in 2000 -- cleared him.

Rollins' conviction was based upon a signed confession and his identification in a photo lineup. Though DNA testing was done, the results were never disclosed, court records show.

"How many other cases are there like this?" Fioretti asked

Rollins, a former special education student who had no criminal record, was 17 when he was convicted.

He repeatedly told police, "I'm innocent," until they "hit him around a couple times" and he agreed to confess, Fioretti said.

[applegrove]

1. Did his confession make it into Powell's speech to the UN too? n/t

[Surya Gayatri]

2. And guess what the outcome

would have been if this had gone before a Roberts/Alito SCOTUS?
They would have thrown it out as inadmissable as it deals w/ the rights of the little guy faced with the omnipotent state.


SG :scared:

[Meldread]

3. Sad...simply sad...

...his entire life wasted behind bars for a crime he didn't commit. I don't think any amount of money could make up for it.

[0007]

4. There is something wrong with our society when the same thing

happens over and over again in exactly the same way.

This case is another reason why torture is absent of logic.

[xchrom]

5. for a crime he didn't do...

this story speaks several volumes, most of it just sad.

well, i'm glad he's out now -- it should never, never have happened in the first place.