Men Freed After Wrongful Convictions to Sue City, Police
Two men recently exonerated from crimes they didn’t commit are suing the City of Chicago and several members of the police department they say were responsible for their wrongful imprisonment. Roberto Almodovar Jr. and Jose Juan Maysonet Jr. filed suit over the weekend in U.S. District Court. Almodovar was freed last April after a judge overturned his conviction in a double murder, and Maysonet was freed in November after prosecutors dropped murder charges. Both men allege several police, including Detective Reynaldo Guevara, coerced confessions out of them through intimidation and violence. A former U.S. Attorney reviewed 70 cases handled by Guevara ended in wrongful convictions. Maysonet says Guevara beat him with a flashlight and a phone book to coerce his confession. Dozens of others have made similar allegations against Guevara. (Sun-Times)