Chicago Police Jailed Two Innocent Men For 17 Months With No Evidence

"The investigation in this case, pretty much, can only be described as pathetic," said the judge.
Police State USA
Aug. 27, 2014

CHICAGO, IL — Two men were held in jail for nearly a year and a half with no evidence against them, prompting a judge to criticize the “pathetic” police investigation.

The case revolves around the wrongful arrest of two men following a shooting that took place around 2:00 p.m. on January 11, 2013, on the 8500 block of South Hoyne in Chicago.

The arrested brothers, Vernell Green, 23, and Antwyone Green, 22, were arrested in February 2013, and both plead not guilty to attempted murder and aggravated battery. They were ultimately held in the Cook County Jail for 17 months until their acquittal in June of 2014.

The Green brothers claimed that they were nowhere near the location of the shooting when it occurred, and they were charged and held in jail without any evidence. They filed a federal lawsuit on August 15th, 2014, against the City of Chicago and Chicago police detectives James Scannell and Lorenzo Sandoval.

“Vernell and Antwyone Green were wrongfully arrested, charged and prosecuted for attempted murder and related charges,” their lawsuit states. “There was no evidence whatsoever suggesting their guilty of any crime. The victim of the shooting did not identify them at the scene even though he had known them from grade school.”

The suit claims the CPD detectives withheld evidence and provided false evidence that was “misleading and misdirecting” in the criminal prosecution of the men. According to the Judge Joseph Claps, there was no explanation about how the detectives arrived at the hospital to interview the victim, Jryce Starling, holding only two photographs — implicating the Green brothers.

The Chicago Sun-Times reported that a trial transcript documented that Starling admitted that the detectives “showed me the picture first,” before asking him who shot him. This entire case hinged on that false identification.

“The investigation in this case, pretty much, can only be described as pathetic,” said Judge Claps as he cleared the Greens following their acquittal on June 16.

“Given the nature of this violent act, you would think the police department would have some motivation to spend the time and effort to investigate the matter,” the judge remarked. “Apparently they chose not to.”

The Greens’ lawsuit claims false arrest, violation of due process, conspiracy, false imprisonment and malicious prosecution, among other charges.













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