Cook County Prosecutor Fights to Block Exonerated People From Clearing Their Names – Injustice Watch

Cook County prosecutor fights to block exonerated people from clearing their names – Injustice Watch

Kane County State’s Attorney Jamie L. Mosser, president of the Illinois State’s Attorneys Association, said prosecutors need to look at every case individually. “I do agree with State’s Attorney O’Neill Burke’s process now, because I think they’re doing what is just in every case, which is making sure that if a certificate of innocence is going to be granted, it is going to be based on the fact that they were actually innocent,” she said.

Cook County prosecutor fights to block exonerated people from clearing their names

This story is a collaboration between Injustice Watch and Bolts, a nonprofit publication that covers criminal justice and voting rights in local governments. Key takeaways A certificate of innocence is a court order declaring that a person who has been convicted of a crime is innocent. In Illinois, they come with modest state compensation and the ability to get the case removed from court records. Civil rights attorneys also use them in police …