|
Chicago's #1 Torture Victim Delayed Justice...
|
Imagine being arrested July 1999 having no idea of what for...
Imagine being detained against your will, deprived of your rights, mentally abused & much more...
Imagine being shown a tape of a crime & threatened to confess to what you've seen...
Imagine being threatened/lead like this day by day - having no one to intervene...
Imagine having no phone, food, water, or bathroom to use...
Imagine being handcuffed to a wall & day by day beaten, tortured & abused...
Imagine being threatened with death if you don't do what the police say...
Imagine being taken to the hospital kicked & punched on the way...
Imagine being surrounded by police at your hospital bed - after all this you've endured...
Imagine having to return to the same station, same cell & the abuse towards you still haven't been cured...
Imagine not being charged with a crime - but your still being here, has you scared...
Imagine having your injured wrist (with stitches) cuffed to a wall so tight - the pain you can't bare...
Imagine being coerced/lied to make an involuntary confession to reduce further abuse...
Imagine doing so on tape & having pictures which documents abuse too...
Imagine after all this police beating you nearly unconscious - sending you to the hospital again...
Imagine enduring all this for 6-days without probable cause hearing to attend...
This is an example of what happened to me while being illegally detained by the Chicago police at the notorious Area #2 Precinct... As you should clearly see - my 4th & 5th Amendment rights were gravely violated by the Chicago police...
In 2002 I was wrongfully convicted of murder & sentenced to 100-yrs. There was no physical evidence linking me to the crime, & prosecutors depended heavily on the coerced confession to convict...
My appeal was immediately filed under several issues including 4th & 5th Amendment violations, coercion, McLaughlin/Gerstein violations, etc...
In December 2004 the Illinois Appellate court reversed the conviction granting a new-trial. "We find the defendant's detention became unlawful in violation of the 4th Amendment of the United States Constitution after the passage of 48-hours..." "The delay in this case is an example of the situation the court sought to prevent. The record demonstrates an indifference to the defendant's rights & suggest the purpose of the prolonged detention was to elicit a confession..." (Failure to suppress defendant's confession was reversible error)...
Just recently in July 2005 the Illinois Supreme Court expressly overruled my reversal/new-trial stating that for decades they only consider length of detention as one factor in determining whether a statement was voluntary...
Although it is very much clear that there was nothing voluntary about my being illegally detained, or the coerced statement - the Illinois Supreme Court limiting their analysis to the question of voluntariness, fails to furnish meaningful protection from unfound interference with liberty as required by the 4th Amendment...
Since 1991 Chicago police & the State's Attorney have continued to ignore the 48-hour rule... In 1999 I became the first victim of a coerced/involuntary video-taped confession - after more than 100-hours of physical/mental abuse...
Just recently new legislation was passed in Illinois reflecting that police must videotape the entire interrogation of a person - so that innocent persons are less likely to be coerced/abused...
A Northwestern University law professor said publicly - "Judges simply cannot make reliable determinations of the voluntariness or the reliability of confessions without a recording of the entire interrogation practice..." Mitchell had endured "downright medieval tactics" (reminiscent of the kind of third-degree tactics Chicago police used years ago)... Area #2 has been an on going problem in Illinois since the early 80's... It is a police station known for torture, coercion & involuntary confessions...
Today I happen to be one of the most publicized/well known victims of coercion/police brutality in Chicago... Yet I'm still being hindered justice as deserved... Please keep in mind that there are pictures, plus the videotape as well, which documents the fact, I was indeed abused/injured before the involuntary confession...
My appeal is in process of being heard again - under several issues, including coercion/5th Amendment violations, etc...
The overrule/cover-up of my new trial should never go unforgotten... "Justice Delayed is Justice Denied..." And I ask of the world/all whom represent justice, to please keep a firm eye on I Edward Mitchell, victim of police brutality/torture & wrongfully convicted in Illinois...
Your letters of concern, advice, suggestions, questions & support will never go unforgotten...
Justfully Yours,
-Mitchell
Write
to me at:
Edward Mitchell
#20070016338
Cook County Jail
PO Box 089002
Chicago, IL 60608
Send
Email
