On Tuesday, seven people who accused a Chicago detective of framing them for murder had their convictions tossed.
The decision makes it the first mass dismissal of murder charges in modern US history.
History
Six men and a woman were part of a group of over 70 people who spent decades in prison.
The seven were accused of killings that occurred between 1989 and 1996.
They claimed that Chicago detective Reynaldo Guevara coaxed witnesses to make false IDs, pressured child witnesses to point to the wrong suspects, fabricated anonymous tips, and battered suspects to make false statements.
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The dismissal
A request by prosecutors to vacate the conviction of an eighth person was hindered by a judge who requested an additional hearing next week in that case.
Meanwhile, the seven whose convictions were dismissed spent a combined 174 years in prison.
All but two of them (Carlos Andino and Alfredo Gonzalez) served their complete sentences.
The dismissal of the conviction came from Cook County State Attorney Kim Foxx, who said her office no longer stood with the conviction.
She also cited the cases’ ties with the disgraced former detective who had a reputation of engaging in a “pattern of practice” of framing suspects and manipulating evidence for years as a contributing factor to her decision.
“We can no longer stand by these convictions,” said Foxx in a press conference at her Loop office.
The group’s attorneys believe the ordeal will be the first mass exoneration for homicide convictions in the history of Cook County and maybe the country.
The convicted
Five of the people (David Colon, Johnny Flores, Nelson Gonzalez, Marilyn Mulero, and Jaime Rios) convicted were previously released after serving prison sentences that range from 18 to 28 years.
Meanwhile, three others (Carlos Andino, Alfredo Gonzalez, and Louis Robinson) remain incarcerated.
Apart from them, over 24 others have had their convictions tied to Guevara thrown out.
Foxx said she expects similar outcomes in at least three other cases in the coming weeks.
Guevara
Cook County State Attorney Kim Foxx also cited a 2017 ruling where the judge accused the disgraced former detective of telling “bald-faced lies” under oath.
According to Foxx, Guevara retired from the CPD in 2005 without being charged with any crime.
He has since moved to Texas, where he continues to receive a police pension.
Guevara declined to respond to the allegations of misconduct in cases that were overturned, bringing up his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.
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Aftermath
Nelson Gonzalez spent 22 years in prison, and on Tuesday, he spoke with reporters in the Leighton Criminal Court Building, saying:
“I’m asking Kim Foxx to press charges, to pursue the prosecution of not only Guevara, but the other CPD agents that helped him convict these individuals.”
“They created chaos within many families, and we’re not going to stop. We’re going to keep going, we’re going to keep pushing.”
However, Foxx said her office will not take a stand on whether any of the involved parties in the exonerations are actually innocent.
She said that she does not believe they could not re-try the cases based on the available evidence.
The murder cases will be re-opened with the possibility of additional investigations.
The attorney said Guevera’s actions have left a “significant stain on the justice system that we can no longer afford to ignore.”
“This is just the beginning,” said attorney Russell Ainsworth, who represents Colon and Flores.
“There is a community of people who have gathered, and they will not stop until every single Guevara victim has been released.”
References:
8 murder convictions tied to disgraced ex-Chicago detective vacated Tuesday
