Man who served 20 years due to wrongful conviction awarded $25 million
Thaddeus Jimenez was just 13-years-old when he was convicted of Eric Morro’s murder in 1993 in Chicago.
He served nearly 20 years in prison for the crime that he says he didn’t commit.
Now a 7th Circuit judge has awarded Jimenez $25 million for the wrongful conviction.
In 2009, the State’s Attorney and his own lawyers filed a motion to vacate the sentence based on what they claimed were the coercive tactics former Chicago police detective Jerome Bogucki employed upon potential witnesses during his investigation. The attorneys prevailed and Jimenez was eventually awarded a certificate of innocence. He then filed a complaint against the city and Bogucki on claims of malicious prosecution, deprivation of due process and conspiracy.
At the trial the jury was told that Bogucki led witnesses to believe the shooter wore a blue and white Duke University jacket. He know Jiminez owned one.
Jimenez’s jacket “disappeared” and was never tested. Several witnesses came forward, accusing the detective of using coercive tactics to pin Jiminez to the crime.
The jury awarded him $25 million in compensatory damages.
Makes you wonder how many young people of color are serving time for wrongful convictions.
Thoughts on the reward?
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