Chicago, Illinois – Attorneys for the city have announced plans to challenge a federal jury’s decision that awarded $120 million to two men wrongfully convicted in a 2003 murder case. John Fulton and Anthony Mitchell, who were both adolescents at the time of their arrests, spent over 16 years in prison before their convictions were overturned in 2019. All charges against them regarding the murder of 18-year-old Christopher Collazo were later dropped by prosecutors.
Throughout their legal battle, Fulton and Mitchell have maintained that they were coerced into providing false confessions during intense police interrogations. They claim detectives made deceptive promises of leniency while physically and psychologically abusing them. The lawsuit indicated a significant lack of evidence connecting the two men to the murder, with no physical evidence or eyewitnesses corroborating the allegations against them.
Fulton’s legal team has accused law enforcement of fabricating photographic evidence, attempting to mislead the jury by suggesting that surveillance cameras did not monitor the back entrance of his apartment. According to the attorneys, the door was indeed under surveillance and required an electronic fob for access, which tracked movements in and out of the building.
In 2019, a judge overturned the convictions of both men. Following this, Fulton and Mitchell filed a lawsuit in 2020 against the police and Cook County prosecutors, alleging malicious prosecution. On Monday, the federal jury awarded each $60 million for their wrongful convictions.
Fulton expressed a strong belief that their case is not unique. He emphasized the presence of many individuals wrongfully incarcerated, stating that there is much work to be done to bring those people home. He acknowledged the broader issue of injustice within the legal system, advocating for attention to other similar cases.
On the night of Collazo’s murder, Fulton was reportedly at his fiancée’s side in the hospital, while his home was equipped with surveillance cameras monitoring all entrances. The lawsuit highlights this as crucial evidence undermining the foundation of the original charges against him.
A spokesperson for the city’s Law Department confirmed intentions to appeal the recent verdict. As the legal proceedings continue, the case has sparked conversations about the reliability of confessions and the importance of accountability within law enforcement practices.
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