Source: Vadym Plysiuk / Getty
Black people being railroaded in the criminal justice system is nothing new but fortunately, these days, people are working hard to free as many of the falsely convicted as they can.
Darien Harris of Chicago was the unfortunate victim of the aforementioned railroading at the tender age of 18 when he was sentenced to 76 years in prison after his 2014 murder conviction for a shooting that took place at a South Side gas station in 2011.
According to an AP News report, part of the reason Harris was found guilty was because of the testimony of a āwitnessā who identified him as the shooter. The Exoneration Project (TEP) was able to prove that the witness had advanced glaucoma and had lied about eyesight problems. After serving almost 13 years in prison, Darien Harris finally came home at the age of 30.
Since 2009, TEP has helped over 200 falsely convicted persons according to AP News and 12 of those were in Chicagoās notoriously corrupt Cook County.
Another man has been exonerated after being convicted of murder! Darien Harris served 12.5 years in a Chicago prison before prosecutors decided to drop his charges after a key witness turned out to be legally blind. Christmas came early for Harris and his family! šš¾ pic.twitter.com/15XyxBU39b
ā Ben Crump (@AttorneyCrump) December 22, 2023
Additional reporting by the Chicago-Tribune states that Harris has filed a federal lawsuit against the city of Chicago and several police officers involved with his case.
āThe federal complaint alleges Harrisā conviction was the result of āegregious misconductā by police who āfabricated evidence, including false witness statements and identifications through such tactics as coercion, threats, fact-feeding, and promises of leniency.ā It argues Harrisā wrongful conviction was not āan isolated incidentā but rather āpart of patterns and practices of systemic police misconductā at Area 2 headquarters,ā reports the Tribune.Ā
Harris told the Tribune that his life is in shambles as he struggles to move forward despite being robbed of over a decade of his life to accomplish his goals and live his dreams.
āI donāt have any financial help. Iām still (treated like) a felon so I canāt get a good job. Itās hard for me to get into school,ā he said. āIāve been so lost. ā¦ I feel like they took a piece of me that is hard for me to get back.ā
It was not noted how much compensation Harris is seeking but we reckon that it is a very substantial number that can help him leap the hurdles that have been put in his path by the insidious murder conviction.
We will provide updates and additional information as it becomes available.
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