Jerry Miller spent 25 years in prison for a crime he did not commit and following his release, filed a civil lawsuit against the City of Chicago for the crime lab witholding evidence that would have proven his innocence.  He was represented in that suit by lawyers from the People’s Law Office, along with attorneys from Neufeld, Sheck & Brustin in New York.  Miller agreed to settle out of court for $6.3 million and that settlement is proceeding through Chicago City Council. 

People’s Law Office attorney John Stainthorp said Chicago taxpayers were lucky to get off paying only $6.3 million. Miller initially demanded $27 million.

“The charges should have been dropped in 1982 when [Chicago Police crime lab technician Raymond ] Lenz did his testing. Instead, he gave a report that said the evidence was inconclusive. It was intentional wrongdoing. It was a failure to report accurate scientific conclusions,” he said.

Pressed to explain the motive, Stainthorp said, “There were multiple instances of misconduct by the Chicago Crime Lab at that time, which has since closed. Forensic scientists would only report results that helped the prosecution’s case and not report results that tended to exonerate people.”

Read the full article in the Chicago Sun-Times