Paid Testimony
Two witnesses in an investigation by Northwestern University journalism students told investigators they were paid, prosecutors alleged today.
The witnesses, Tony Drakes and Michael Lane, told investigators with the state's attorney's office that they were given money in the hopes that their statements that would help free Anthony McKinney, convicted of the shotgun-slaying of a guard in 1982, prosecutors said in court filings today.
"This evidence shows that Tony Drakes gave his video statement upon the understanding that he would receive cash if he gave the answers that inculpated himself and that Drakes promptly used the money to purchase crack cocaine," the filing reads.
- Professor David Protess of the university's Medill School of Journalism called the latest filing by the state "so filled with factual errors that if my students had done this kind of reporting or investigating, I would have given them an F."
Labels: silly people, we got nothing
posted by SCC at 12:04 AM
53 Comments:
Sweet. Love it.
Only an "F", Protess? How about a big "F-U" to you and your proteges, you flaming, leftie, knee-jerk lib asshole!
Get together with Quinn and open up the prison floodgates, starting with Tamms.
David Protess you are a scoundrel of the lowest caliber. I give you an "F" as in go fuck yourself.
Lay off the crack you flea infested knucklehead. Remember: when you lie with Dogs you're gonna get fleas !!!!
Those that can practice law do so. Those who can't TEACH.
You are a legal masterbator !!
NW kids,
did you think this scumbag would keep silent? welcome to reality.
God bless the CPD and nobody else.
Just the tip of the iceburg of what goes on inside the legal system in the Northern District of Illinois.
It is a well known fact that many of the so-called victims, witnesses and attorneys involved in "jackpot justice" litigation do not tell the truth!
I want to see everyone, not just the police, held acountable for their actions no mater what the intent.
There have been way too many passes given to do gooders.
I, for one, am tired of suffering the unintended consiquences of their actions.
The SA's office comes in for a lot of criticism on SCC, a lot of it justly deserved. This stand by the SA challenging the methods of the "journalism" students and the credibility of their witnesses deserves applause. For years other SA's and the court's have taken the recantations of gang bangers and others as gospel. Finally, the SA is subjecting the investigation performed by the students and professors to the same scrutiny as law enforcement's investigations receive. Alvarez and her staff are taking and will take plenty of heat for holding the media and "journalists" to the same standards as law enforcement. As Mark Twain wrote, "Never engage in a war of words with someone who buys ink by the barrel". In this instance SCC and readers should support the SA. Affidavits and statements given by crackheads in the midst of withdrawal who are given money for rocks if they talk should not lead to the release of convicted murderers. On the other hand, if CPD used that method I'll bet the crackheads would cop to the clearing of all open homicide cases.
The Freedom Project movie script:
HOT LITTLE BLONDE COED:
"Gee, Professor! I'd do ANYTHING to get a good grade in this course!"
PROFESSOR:
"Anything???"
HOT LITTLE BLONDE COED:
"ABSOLUTELY ANYTHING!" (in a sexy voice while rubbing up against her mentor).
PROFESSOR:
"Then get 'proof' somehow that Anthony McKinney is innocent!"
HOT LITTLE BLONDE COED:
(out of professor's earshot) "Boy, this sucks! I used to be able to get an "A" from these old geezers just by giving them a header! Now what am I gonna do?"
Prologue: The hot little blonde got an "A" in the class after she was able to get 'proof' of McKinney's innocence. Did the end justify the means? Thats for the courts and history to decide, but 'the means' absolutely need to be put under a microscope to prove, beyond a shadow of a doubt, their legitimacy. Put up, or shut up, Professor. Full disclosure is the law! OBEY THE LAW, Pofessor.
fingers are crossed
hey professor...you have pissed off the almighty asa's office....i wouldnt want to be you...they can have a ham sandwich indicted.
hello cook co asa, hello patrick fitzgerald---- it looks like some journalism students need some kind of indictment for their criminal acts---
I'm not sure which is worse: this or "Cease Fire" paying admitted gang members that claim they're "reformed" to march around and denounce gang violence.
Since we know in some events, the witnesses are paid by the lawyers,
let set an example and demand all involved are disbarred. They are very quick to demand firing from anyone who comes up against them, now it the decent folks turn to demand the same treatment.
they need to throw that professor guy in front of the grand jury as well
The academic community does not enjoy any immunity from the courts. They want to meddle in this game they better be ready for the consequences that come with it. Kudos to the CCSAO for having some balls and doing the right thing for once.
On the other hand, if CPD used that method I'll bet the crackheads would cop to the clearing of all open homicide cases.
11/11/2009 07:53:00 AM
No. If a CPD did this it would be called Delivery.
College professors and students live in a liberal bubble where information is censored and laws mean nothing unless it benefits them. They cry about their first amendment rights but try to suppress anyone who disagrees with them.
They might as well live in China.
Good reading from a conservative in academia:
http://www.dradams.org
O Great and Wise professor,you forgot to teach your students rule#1,which even a lowly P.O. such as I know,NEVER NEVER EVER TRUST A FUCKIN JUNKIE OR WHORE.I mean NEVER.Stupid fuck.
No different than Greylord corrup- tion. And plenty of Lawyers and Judges were not indicted due to political correcteness. I dought many individuals will be indicted, its politically correct these days to be anti Police.
Even if the guy was innocent, it makes him look bad that they paid a drug addict to recant his testimony, even if the recantation was true.
You know what.
Given my knowledge and experience of the Cook County States Attorneys Office I don't know who to believe here.
Meeting an ASA who is willing to admit prosecutorial mistakes are made would be like meeting a member of the Daley family not directly or indirectly sucking at the taxpayer tit. Such a person undoubtedly exists, but I've never met them.
Taking it to a Cook County Judge doesn't actually help much. State Judge not much better.
Find some third party with no ties to figure things out.
It seems to me that the main concern of a prosecutor should be whether the convicted guy is actually guilty. It doesn't happen often, but sometimes the wrong guy is convicted.
It has always amazed me, now I find it humorous that in a court room, everyone is under an oath except the lawyers. Victims, witnesses, Law Enforcement, Juries all are under oath. The lawyers are not because they have no souls and are the true criminals. P.S. Judges are also lawyers. I believe there is a special place in hell for lawyers and politicians.
The word is there's more to come.
The SAO is NOT backing down on this, which has this group spinning. The Tribune is nervous also. Recall the recent column by Eric Zorn musing how, of course, now and then some of the e-mails he exchanged with this bunch might seem a little...Unprofessional? Anti-police? Anti-prosecution? Racist? You forgot to elaborate, Zorn.
Give the state's attorneys credit when it's due. This would never happen under previous administrations that were only concerned with keeping the (dwindling-circulation) papers happy.
This is a lot more than the papers are reporting on pages 9 and 14. Don't forget that many in our local media come from Northwestern and will do everything they can to bury this story.
Once you read the SA's motion it becomes absolutely clear that Northwestern is using money and hot females to make drug users and incarcerated criminals come up with BS statements proving that some long ago convicted murderer is "innocent."
Don't forget that the bullshit this school fed the public through its former students at the Trib and Suntimes has lead to the RELEASE of more than 10 convicted MURDERERS.
One of these students, Evan Benn, who now "reports" for the St. Louis Dispatch, says that he gave a cab driver $60 to take the "witness" to a bus station even though the "witness" had no money, no ticket, and no luggage.
Unfortunately for Evan, the cab driver thought something was amiss when a person claiming he was a detective told him to take $20 and give $40 to the witness to drive the witness 2 miles away to the local crack house. So, the cab driver WROTE DOWN what Evan told him because he thought he was in the middle of a drug deal and this log is now in the SA's hands. It's also unfortunate for Evan that the cabdriver REMEMBERS this happening because it was so strange.
Looks like Evan and his fellow students will soon appear on the witness stand at a hearing for the release of the killer McKinney. The lawyers could care less if they have to sacrifice a few NU students to get this piece of shit a new trial.
Think any of these former students will roll on their classmates when faced with perjuring themselves in a future murder trial?
I do.
That's why the professor looks so terrified when speaking to the media. He knows the end is near.
Read the SA's motion here:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-111009-northwestern-innocence-project,0,6202197.htmlpage
Lets not forget, many innocent people have been freed from prison by groups such as those at Northwestern, this particular case, not withstanding. It is not always the fault of overagreesive police officers, but a failure of the prosecutors office and of the judges.
This is how the scam works: the "journalism" school (I'm an editor of a paper ma and my kid paste together, am I a journalist, too?) gets these suspect recantations.
Then the "journalist" students give the recantation to the law school "innocence project." (What grade do you think get in the innocence project class if you conclude "this guy realy is guilty"?)
The "innocence project" only gets the interview that helps them from the 'journalists'. And that's all they want. Not the four previous interviews where the witness said that the bad guy really did do it. Not any information about what was done to get this witness to change his mind to begin with.
When someone tries to get all the statements, or get to the bottom of all of it, the 'journalists' claim 'reporter's privlege'.
The ASAs regularly get dinged on this blog.
But believe me, this is going to be that office's finest hour.
Lets release these prisoners to the Professor's neighborhood.
typical Liberal pussys, just jealous of POLICE OFFICERS, BECAUSE THEY ALL ARE AFRAID OF THEIR OWN SHADOWS, AND COULD NEVER BE MAN OR WOMAN ENOUGH TO BE CPD.
time for the State and Federal proscecutors to be as aggressive in investigating this incident, as they are in investigating Police misconduct.
Dick Devine and Dick Daley would have had it swept under the Carpet by now.
It seems to me that the main concern of a prosecutor should be whether the convicted guy is actually guilty. It doesn't happen often, but sometimes the wrong guy is convicted.
Really genius??? Pretty sure that is what she's trying to do here. Think that's why she subpoenaed all the records they have. Pay attention
You know, this whole thing cuts both ways.
Prosecutors are also known to cut corners when it comes to handling witnesses, and will "pay" potential witnesses for their testimony by either dropping or lowering charges against them, or granting immunity.
The whole system is rotten, and Alvarez is right in the middle of it.
Anonymous Anonymous said...
Lets not forget, many innocent people have been freed from prison by groups such as those at Northwestern, this particular case, not withstanding. It is not always the fault of overagreesive police officers, but a failure of the prosecutors office and of the judges.
11/11/2009 01:48:00 PM
..............
Actually a lot of guilty people have been freed due to groups like this. They know that the jury pool these days consists of Maury watchers and those who watch CSI. They think what they see on TV is real and bring their preconceived notions to court with them. They honestly believe that there is DNA and fingerprints at every crime scene and if the Police did not find any the accused is innocent. They do not take into account that you do not always leave DNA at a scene. They also do not take into account that theses cases are 20 plus years old and the Police were not looking for DNA back then. These groups have gone out of their way to put career criminals back on the street. IF you check a lot of them are back in jail in under a year. I can only hope that someday these people are the victims of a crime committed by someone they set free. But, since they are liberals it wouldn't matter. It would always be someone else s fault.
I never met an ASA who did not lie.
Lies of omission and silence are lies.
Trials are all based upon lies.
Only Daley does not lie.
Lets not forget, many innocent people have been freed from prison by groups such as those at Northwestern, this particular case, not withstanding. It is not always the fault of overagreesive police officers, but a failure of the prosecutors office and of the judges.
11/11/2009 01:48:00 PM
----------------------
It seems to me that the main concern of a prosecutor should be whether the convicted guy is actually guilty. It doesn't happen often, but sometimes the wrong guy is convicted.
11/11/2009 12:32:00 PM
------
Just a couple examples of NU students hitting this blog to help bury the story.
I wouldn't be surprised to find out that there is an entire class at NU scouring the internet to come to the lying students/professor's defense.
They had no interest in finding the truth. They wanted to sabotage cases that were decided by juries decades ago, because old cases are the easiest to tear down.
Any evidence they found that supported the prisoner's guilt was buried and any bogus evidence they could manufacture to say he was innocent they turned over to their ilk at the Trib.
Their goal was to push lies, not find truth.
If I see anyone else use the word "dought" I'm going to shut this blog down on just principle. It's "doubt".
the feds think this is ok, and are trying burge federally for lying on an interogatory answer his lawyer probably told him to sign, which they are going to prove via testimony from a f'in dead cop killer?
the tribune should be a defendant in this. you know those fuggin guys were trading emails with the plaintiff's lawyers & students. Guess what? No priviledge if you already broke it? sam zell don't be a wimp, get to the bottom of this, order full cooperation with the asa's office, turn over tribune emails voluntarily.
Didn't they used to call these BRIBES.
Nice move by the States Attorneys Office. I have worked with them in the past and had our differences but this is a good move. Someone is actually questioning the previously unquestioned law school students and professors. I wonder how they feel now that they can no longer juggle the truth.
old retired guy
Dear NW students, It's about the TRUTH. Not the game of whether you can prove it to be true or not. Attorneys are for playing that game. You are supposed to be journalists, and I don't mean the kind we have now. We police officers have reached the lowest point in morale that any of us currently on the job can recall. There is no doubt in my mind that the current climate of unbridled political corruption, having slithered into every facet of law enforcement and criminal justice in the state, and gone almost completely UNREPORTED by the media, has taken a depressive emotional toll on the department. The only hope any of us has is change. That change being the future and that future being you. We look to you as a new hope for something better. Strive for the truth, it is important. If the antics that you read about the current city administration sicken you as much as they do us, then I dare you to investigate. Dig for the truth because that's the real job you set out to do. That's the hard stuff, definately the road less taken. At least the road less taken by all but one or two "journalists in this town.
Anonymous said...
If I see anyone else use the word "dought" I'm going to shut this blog down on just principle. It's "doubt".
11/11/2009 08:04:00 PM
I seriously dought that you possess the ability to shut this blog down. Only SCC can do that and I dought that you are SCC.
I also dought that you meant to say "on just principle", so since you want everything perfect, I think YOU meant to say "just on principle".
Are you happy now? I dought it!
Their goal was to push lies, not find truth.
11/11/2009 06:33:00 PM
I'm not a Northwestern student and I posted the second comment.
I once knew a young cop, looked a whole lot like me, made one of his first non domestic felony arrests. Got himself a serial sex offender. Young Cop thought he was Batman and was going to save the city.
Recognized him off a sketch. Young cop watched the detectives interview the guy who claimed to be innocent. Actually the guy had a great alibi, but the victims identified the guy in a lineup. Who cares if the guy was a veteran with nothing but traffic offenses in his background?
Charges are approved and the guy goes to County. There was much rejoicing and alcohol consumed.
A few weeks later West Suburban cops arrest a guy for a similar rape. Actually they get him in the act.
Guess who that turd looks just like? Do you see where I'm going with this?
The second guy admitted to all the rapes and is still a guest of the State of Illinois over 20 years later. He must have missed prison because he had only been out for a few months or so.
The first guy. Well after much hassle with the States Attorneys Office he was released. The initials of the States Attorney at the time were SS...for shortshanks.
Where did this young cop fuck up?
He really didn't. He made a good faith error and a whole lot of people after him made similar errors in that case.
People are fallible. Mistakes are made. Systems are made up of people and people fuck up.
I don't know if the States Attorneys Office is right in this.
Maybe they are. The truth is I have little faith in the States Attorneys Office. There are some good people there, but my experience has taught me that most are clout babies who are interested in doing as little to get by as possible.
Maybe that makes me a libtard.
I prefer to think of myself as a libertarian.
Libertarians are inherently distrustful of government. It's what conservatism used to be.
The older I get the more "gray" I see in life.
Anonymous said...
If I see anyone else use the word "dought" I'm going to shut this blog down on just principle. It's "doubt".
11/11/2009 08:04:00 PM
Dought it!
I hope these kids take their new friends home to meet mom and dad . WTF
Professor Protess and his students decide these guys are innocent and work their way backwards carefully developing only the information that supports their predetermined conclusion of innocence and summarily dismissing anything to suggest the guy really did it. And if in the meantime, they destroy the career and reputation of the PO or ASA that worked on the original case, they could care less. They sprung another guy from IDOC, they sold another book, they got some other goo goo to feel warm and fuzzy inside.
That's not journalism - that's corruption.
The only way that they will stop is by this public embarassment and by the consequences of embarassing Northwestern University. And the only way that Northwestern University will care is if their alums stop writing their annual contribution checks.
If the students and their professor were playing loose with the truth, then it should come out in court. All of their records and interviews should be open to the court. However, for those doubters who do not believe that many innocents are serving time, go to the web site, Truth in Justice.Org. And, defense attorneys tell their investigators not to write down any interviews just in case they find a witness who is bad for their client . Then the notes can be subpeoned into court. Slimy, but true. The plain fact is, their is no criminal justice "system", everyone is in it for themselves.Just pray to god no one in your family ever gets caught up in it. All of the name calling in the world will not do any good, only an open and transparent system, which we do not have DNA has freed many people from prison, not withstanding the fact that they were picked out in line-ups, or gave written confessions to the police. Believe in law enforcement, do your job, but stop being so blind to the realities of the political system.Juries can only convict or set free based on the evidence that they are allowed to hear.
..you have pissed off the almighty asa's office....i wouldnt want to be you...they can have a ham sandwich indicted.
what planet are you living on? i think what you meant to say was "they can't even get a ham sandwich indicted." very few over at the asa's office are competent. and the office is being run by the second in command...the ccsa is a moron.
If I see anyone else use the word "dought" I'm going to shut this blog down on just principle. It's "doubt".
You go girldfriend.
Is this the same Northwestern professor that had the sexual escapade problem with one of his students? Thought we forgot, huh?
The Innocence Project is a comprised of thousands of paid and volunteer lawyers and law students.
These thousands of lawyers have spent fifteen years combing through the records of many thousands of convicts, trying to overturn their cases.
They have successfully appealed only 250.
And in many of these, the only actual "evidence" of innocence is absence of the convict's DNA. Since gang rapes and rape-murders are extremely over-represented among their cases, there is often no proof that absence of a particular offender's DNA is actual proof of innocence.
Nevertheless, despite the existence of other implicating evidence, that absence of DNA is taken as proof of innocence now in cases like the Central Park Jogger rape (which represents five of those 250 acquittals). In that case, the offenders' confessions were accurate; the one identified rapist had everything to gain and nothing to lose by taking sole responsibility for the crime (after he was sent away for life), and yet, the acquitted are now heroes, despite their undisputed, other acts of serial violence (and actual guilt for the jogger's rape).
None of their original confessions presented a scenario that would indicate their leaving genetic evidence, in other words. And they all spoke of an older man leading the rape – now one older man is identified through DNA.
But even if all 250 of the Projects' clients were innocent, that's 250 cases spanning 35 of the most violent years in U.S. history -- millions of rapes and murders.
Those 250 cases, though personally tragic, are utterly statistically irrelevant. But they have spawned a cottage industry of made-up academic "studies" on things like "prevalence of false confession" and other imaginary trends -- now being used to lay the groundwork for legislation to make it ever more difficult to investigate and prosecute crimes.
DNA has actually shown us that wrongful conviction is exceedingly rare, but non-prosecution and under-sentencing for serial offenders is a serious problem and the direct contributor to many rapes and rape-murders. Too bad the media doesn’t report these facts.
And despite all the Project's propaganda about "causes of wrongful conviction," one cause they refuse to acknowledge is the primary cause in virtually all of their cases: a record of prior criminal acts, including prior rapes.
If you don't want to get falsely convicted, in other words, don't break the law. Don't rape women; don't run with criminal buddies.
The Innocence Project does principled work for their clients who are actually innocent. But their deceptive practices, false statistics, and utterly groundless claims about the justice system need to be exposed for what they are.
I applaud the ASA for standing up to these so called, self-proclaimed "investigators". Let them submit their work records like everyone else. If they think their work product will turn around a conviction, their work material/product/notes, etc. should be part of the court discovery.
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