Saturday, December 03, 2005

Update on the Anthony Porter/Alstory Simon case

I blogged about this delevoping story Webnesday night. Here's an update from the Chicago Tribune. Free reg. may be required.

A man whose confession to a 1982 double murder resulted in Anthony Porter being freed from Death Row now alleges he was coerced into making the statement by investigators working for a Northwestern University journalism professor.

Alstory Simon, who eventually pleaded guilty in the case, contends he was forced to falsely confess in 1999. Simon's lawyers on Thursday filed a post-conviction petition on his behalf in Criminal Court seeking a new evidentiary hearing in his case.

The document accuses the professor, David Protess, and his investigator, Paul J. Ciolino, of freeing Porter by constructing a case against Simon.

Lawyer Terry Ekl, who represents Simon, said, "I really think it's so ironic that the same people who have been telling us for so long that they are acting in the interest of justice have taken the attitude that they can do whatever they want, including lie and cheat, to get people to say what they want them to say.


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