- Leroy Orange
Leroy Orange was born on
20 July ,1950 inChicago ,Illinois . On12 January ,1984 Orange wasarrested along with hishalf-brother ,Leonard Kidd , for themurder of four persons (Ricardo Pedro, 25, Michelle Jointer, 30, Renee Coleman, 27, and Coleman’s 10-year-old son, Tony) at 1553 W 91st Street inChicago's South side Brainerd neighborhood based on false accusations by Kidd.Fact|date=October 2007Orange eventually confessed to the murders after twelve hours of
interrogation and allegedtorture at the hands ofChicago Police Lieutenant Jon Burge [cite web|url=http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/95/HB/09500HB0765ham001.htm|accessdate=2007-10-02|publisher=Illinois General Assembly|date=2007-03-27 |title=Amendment to House Bill 765] .At trial, despite Kidd'stestimony on the that he had acted , Orange was convicted due in a large part to representation by Earl Washington, a private attorney retained by Orange's family accused of gross incompetence during the trial.Fact|date=March 2007After several
appeal s that were being forestalled on technicalities, theBluhm Legal Clinic DirectorThomas F. Geraghty andclinic student s entered the case.On
10 January 2003 IllinoisGovernor George Ryan granted Orange a fullpardon based oninnocence , criticizingprosecutor s and thejudiciary for relying on “procedural technicalities at the exclusion of the quest fortruth ”.Fact|date=March 2007Leroy Orange was subsequently arrested for attempting to sell crack cocaine to an undercover police officer. [ [http://www.icadp.org/page238.html Illinois Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty ] ] [ [http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=News&id=1195230 abc7chicago.com: ABC7 Chicago WLS-TV 7 ] ]
References
* [http://www.law.northwestern.edu/depts/clinic/wrongful/exonerations/IL_Orange.htm Northwestern University Center on Wrongful Convictions Article]
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