After 29 Years of Wrongful Imprisonment Starting at Age 16, Jerry Herrington is Finally a Free Man

Yesterday, Cook County Judge Alfredo Maldonado “vacated the wrongful murder conviction of Illinois Innocence Project (IIP) client Jerry Herrington, dismissing all charges and fully exonerating him.” Judge Maldonado’s decision came in response to a united front by the IIP and the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office based upon a litany of errors that landed Herrington in prison at age 16 for a crime he didn’t commit:

-According to the evidence, Chicago police officers slapped and punched Herrington when he was handcuffed to a wall;

-Those officers denied his request to call his mother or grandmother in connection with his interrogation;

-The officers claimed he verbally confessed, but there’s no recording of this confession or a written version;

-Herrington says he never confessed;

-Besides the alleged confession, the only other evidence against Herrington came from a 16 year-old informant in police custody;

-This informant gave three different locations for where he was at the time of the murder, with defense counsel not establishing how far away they were;

-This informant was never asked to identify Herrington in a lineup or photo array

Beyond this, there’s new evidence of Herrington’s innocence:

Two credible new witnesses came forward stating they saw the shooting and knew the identity of the real perpetrator but were frightened to come forward at the time. Moreover, the officers who investigated this case and abused Herrington are now the subject of numerous allegations regarding systematic misconduct and abuse, as well as fabricated evidence.

And so, now, after 29 years of wrongful imprisonment starting at age 16, Jerry Herrington is now finally a free man.

-CM