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A Pittance for 27 Years of Lost Freedom

By Jeralyn, Section Innocence Cases
Posted on Sun Aug 13, 2006 at 10:37:12 AM EST
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Michael Evans spent 27 years in an Illinois prison for a crime DNA evidence later proved he didn't commit. He was released in 2003.

What did he get as compensation? $6,000. a year.

Evans left prison in 2003 and received little more than a hug from his family. No money. No training. No job placement. No therapy. No apology. It took two more years and a governor's pardon before the state coughed up $162,000 to compensate Evans for his lost life. Evans has distributed most of that sum to family members and others who helped win his release.

On Tuesday, Evans lost a $60 million civil lawsuit he brought against 10 former Chicago police officers he accused of conspiring to manipulate evidence and coerce an eyewitness in his criminal trial. So $162,000 is likely to be all he'll get for his ... inconvenience.

Shame on Illinois.

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    • A Pittance for 27 Years of Lost Freedom | 9 comments (9 topical)
    Re: A Pittance for 27 Years of Lost Freedom (none / 0) (#1)
    by weezie on Sun Aug 13, 2006 at 11:18:37 AM EST
    Maybe Nutfong is hoping that's all the falsely accused Duke lax boys will be able to get in their suit against Durham.

    Re: A Pittance for 27 Years of Lost Freedom (none / 0) (#2)
    by jaf on Sun Aug 13, 2006 at 11:20:55 AM EST
    Hasn't this been a recurring offense by the Chicago PD? Perhaps a civil rights case? Oh, I forgot, the Rethugs are running the USDOJ.

    Re: A Pittance for 27 Years of Lost Freedom (none / 0) (#3)
    by Patrick on Sun Aug 13, 2006 at 11:35:03 AM EST
    Perhaps they didn't conspire "to manipulate evidence and coerce an eyewitness in his criminal trial," and therefore the verdict is right.

    Re: A Pittance for 27 Years of Lost Freedom (none / 0) (#4)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sun Aug 13, 2006 at 11:39:15 AM EST
    Shameful doesn't come anywhere near close, the state should be on bended knees pleading for forgiveness and trying to make amends for taking this mans life. The poor sod, banged up for twenty seven years knowing you're innocent. I recently watched a prisoner interview from Wabash prison. The inmate had embezeled money whilst being a county prosecutor, for this white collar crime he received thirty years (and you wonder why the jails are full) he went on to say that as a prosecuter he did his hardest to pile year upon year of jail time on any who came before him. Not so any more, "You can't imagine just how long a year in jail really is" said he. Spare a thought for he that has served twenty seven of them.

    Re: A Pittance for 27 Years of Lost Freedom (none / 0) (#5)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sun Aug 13, 2006 at 11:45:01 AM EST
    My, how different people view things. The infallable defender of the public good defends the indefencable.

    Re: A Pittance for 27 Years of Lost Freedom (none / 0) (#6)
    by HK on Sun Aug 13, 2006 at 12:01:07 PM EST
    Those who are believed to be guilty are very quickly demonised by society and yet those who are found to be innocent are fast forgotten. All desperately sad.

    Re: A Pittance for 27 Years of Lost Freedom (none / 0) (#7)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Aug 14, 2006 at 05:13:24 PM EST
    Despicable. Instead of those commercials asking "What's in your wallet?", perhaps we need one with a judge sitting in his courtroom, peering down, menacingly, into the camera from on high and intoning: "How much justice can YOU afford?"

    Re: A Pittance for 27 Years of Lost Freedom (none / 0) (#8)
    by jondee on Mon Aug 14, 2006 at 06:46:43 PM EST
    Where's the "what about the victim" usual suspects on this thread? I guess wreaking revenge on the state just dosnt give the same emotional kick as the oppurtunity to wreak it on a flesh and blood human being.

    Re: A Pittance for 27 Years of Lost Freedom (none / 0) (#9)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Aug 14, 2006 at 10:07:40 PM EST
    He was offered a 2.7 mil settlement, but turned it down.

    A Pittance for 27 Years of Lost Freedom | 9 comments (9 topical)