City of Chicago to settle wrongful incarceration lawsuit

2010-03-01 05:51:50 (GMT) (JusticeNewsFlash.com - Criminal law, Justice News Flash)

Man spent 25 years in prison for a crime he did not commit.

Legal News for Illinois Criminal Attorneys. Evidence that could have spared a man from spending 25 years in prison was withheld.

Criminal lawyer alerts- City of Chicago faced a lawsuit after a man was locked up for an erroneous rape conviction.

Chicago, IL (News)—A wrongfully incarcerated man, who filed a lawsuit against the city of Chicago after spending 25 years in prison for a false rape conviction, contended a crime lab analyst failed to report significant evidence that would have barred him from being a suspect in the first place. The city of Chicago has allegedly agreed to settle the suit, which could cost the city millions of dollars in damages, according to information provided by the Chicago Tribune.

Jerry Miller, 51, was found guilty of rape in 1981 and was subsequently locked up until 2006. Although DNA only revealed Miller’s innocence in 2008, when he was pardoned, the suit claimed serological tests taken nearly three decades ago could have proved that he never commit the crime he was punished for. These tests revealed that the attacker had type O blood while Miller has type B blood. Another suspect, Robert Weeks, found to be the true criminal in the 1981 incident, had type O blood. Reports state tests were conducted on a semen stain though the analyst, identified as Raymond Lenz, “failed to report to prosecutors that type B antigens weren’t found in the semen stain”, reporting instead that the test results were inconclusive. Trials were scheduled to begin Monday, February 22, 2010.

Legal News Reporter: Sandra Quinlan- Legal News for Illinois Criminal Lawyers.