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A CHICAGO JUDGE has declared innocent a man who spent 22 years in prison for murder, and vacated his conviction, as part of an official review of past cases possibly tainted by police misconduct.
Anthony Jakes, convicted of murder when he was 15, was the latest to be exonerated in America’s third largest city.
Jakes had been sentenced to prison for 40 years for a 1991 murder, but released in 2013 after serving about half of that term.
He claimed a now-retired police detective beat and coerced him into confessing.
Yesterday, a judge officially declared Jakes innocent and cleared his name.
“I wish my grandmother and my mother were here to celebrate this with me, because they were my biggest, biggest supporters,” Jakes told reporters outside the courtroom.
Jakes’ case was the latest in a host of overturned convictions and exonerations in the US.
Charges against 139 people were thrown out last year, according to the National Registry of Exonerations.
In Chicago, the cases of two other men were also under scrutiny yesterday.
Robert Buoto’s conviction for a 1993 murder was vacated, but prosecutors vowed to retry his case. Buoto claims police manufactured evidence against him.
At the same time, Thomas Sierra sued the city, claiming police had framed him for a murder he did not commit in the mid-1990s.
Sierra was 19 years old when he was first jailed, and served 22 years in prison before charges were dropped in January.
In February, four other men sued Chicago law enforcement after charges against them were also dropped.
And in November, a Chicago judge exonerated 15 men at once, in the first mass exoneration for the city.
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its not as if the journal are the ones who wrote and staged the piece the are just reporting on it
No such thing as a bold child these days.
Probably because we have a richer understanding of the mind, instead of the binary good v. bad.
It’s funny how instances of ADHD rise as you travel from west coast USA to East coast, it’s also funny how this trend corresponds to the ownership of games consoles and various technological gear kids are given these days. I’m not saying ADHD does not exist but it’s used to often as a get out Clause.
totally agree with u Gary there is such a thing as a bold child but its easier to say they have adhd rather than just saying their a brat
I don’t know about owning game consoles- my children have wii and ds consoles but the geography speaks volumes…
My Da had a great cure for ADHD. A toe up the hole. Cured me every time.
aka “mammy didn’t give me enough hugs syndrome”
true sometimes children are just bold and being a brat nothing else
adhd is just an excuse 4 parents not to put maners on their kids 4 being bold… no1 wants to tell their kids of anymore..
Jonathan that’s not true- myself and my husband try and discipline our children appropriately when necessary. When want to ensure that their actions don’t go unchecked. Simple manners like please and thank you- are just the beginning. Don’t tar all parents with the same brush…
Where was ADHD in the 70s and 80s?it seems all too prevalent nowadays. I do believe SOME parents misuse the condition to excuse “bad” behaviour. AND before I get red thumbed- I have 3 children-8,7 and 2. I do know what naughty vs good should be and when I as a parent should step up and take responsibility for my children’s behaviour and not blame a condition.
Should be ashamed of yourselves running this story. Many young kids including my own son have ADHD and I don’t take kindly to having it slagged off as is the case here. I’m all for a laugh and joke but not at some child’s expense. Shame on you. If it was a slur about skin colour, wheelchair bound people, mentally handicapped or blind people would you still run it.
I doubt the play makes fun of ADHD. The original ADHD and Asperger’s kids are in their twenties now. Things are becoming more tolerant, and diagnosed writers/actors are emerging. I wouldn’t worry.
Hi all,
@Jambbie: With respect, I’m not sure what problem you have with this review. The show itself, which is part of this year’s Fringe festival, discusses ADHD and some of the reactions and misunderstandings surrounding the condition. It seems that there are some playful elements to the story but I don’t think that these try to poke fun at children or those with ADHD – far from it. In any case, TheJournal.ie didn’t write or stage the play – this is just a review of it.
More generally, I’d like to point out that ADHD is a recognised behavioural condition that presents very real challenges to those who suffer from it and their families (see: http://www.apa.org/topics/adhd/index.aspx). It really isn’t helpful to suggest that children with ADHD are just “acting up”.
my son was very bold and used to have at least half a dozen very bad tantrums every day,,, it was a nightmare,, doctor said he had adhd,,I didn’t agree,,I didn’t want to label my child just so his mother could get some extra allowance,,I changed his diet and made sure he got out for lots of exercise,, he was just a normal boy, with lots of energy that needed to be burnt off,, and u am aware that there are genuine cases, but kids are you easily labeled adhd,, their kids their supposed to be balls of energy and excitement,,
Sounds like a good story . Could be a laugh. Wouldn’t mind seeing it for the craic.
have your say