Chicago Prosecutor's Office Leaks Old, Unsubstantiated, Discredited Internal Memo To Smear Innocence Project Founder

from the chicago-politics? dept

Last year, we wrote about the rather troubling situation in Chicago, involving prosecutors who were given information from the famed Medill Innocence Project (which consist of journalism students who examine potential wrongful conviction cases) indicating a wrongful conviction. Rather than use the new evidence, the prosecutors began a campaign against the Innocence Project subpoenaing a ton of information that has no bearing on the case whatsoever, but seem designed to intimidate the journalism students. On top of this, the prosecutors have leaked claims that the students paid witnesses, which appears to be a misreading of a situation where cab fare was paid for by the students, and there was a bit of money left over.

But at every turn it looks like the prosecutor's office is out to smear, rather than to investigate. The latest, coming via Romenesko, is that the prosecutor's office released a decades old internal memo that smears the founder of the Innocence Project with claims that are either totally unsubstantiated or entirely discredited. The memo was given to at least two news organizations and has absolutely nothing to do with the case at hand. A spokesperson for the prosectors' office claimed that the document was distributed, "in the interest of trying to get the whole picture out there," which is really quite stunning. Again, the document has nothing to do with the case at hand and is either unsubstantiated or totally discredited. It's hard to see that as anything other than the Cook County State's Attorney's Office trying to smear the guy in charge of the Innocence Project. It certainly doesn't seem like an operation seeking truth.

Filed Under: innocence project, journalism, medill, students, witnesses

Prosecutors Claim 'Innocence Project' Journalism Students Paid Witnesses

from the gets-a-bit-more-complicated... dept

Last month, we thought it was quite excessive that states' attorneys in Illinois were asking for all sorts of information on the students who were involved in the Medill Innocence Project -- a journalism school investigative reporting effort that has helped free wrongly convicted individuals. The prosecutors were asking for information on the students' grades and private notes, which seemed to go beyond what seemed reasonable. However, now the prosecutors are claiming that the students may have paid witnesses for their interviews, which could raise questions about their authenticity (found via Romenesko). Of course, reading the details, it's not so clear cut. The students admit that they paid for the guy's cab fare, but it sounds like there was money left over from the cash they gave the cabbie, and he gave it to the interview subject (who then used it to buy drugs). That certainly makes it a little more clear as to why prosecutors were looking for more info, but it still seems like the overall request went beyond what was reasonable. It certainly looks more like an intimidation tactic than any attempt to get to the bottom of the case.

Filed Under: innocence project, journalism, medill, students, witnesses