CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- A federal lawsuit has been filed in the case of two men who were locked up for 12 years for allegedly murdering off-duty CPD Officer Clifton Lewis in 2011 before charges against one were dropped the conviction of the second was overturned.
Attorneys for Tyrone Clay and Edgardo Colon assert the alleged misconduct by police, prosecutors and a judge was “stunning.”
Jennifer Bonjean represents Clay.
“He was detained for 12 years pre-trial, never brought to trial, and on the morning when we were supposed to a hearing that was going to explore the rampant misconduct, the Cook County State’s Attorney dropped all charges," she said.
Paul Vickrey represents Colon.
“This case is about stunning, a stunningly broad 12-year effort to hide, distort, even destroy evidence," he said.
A third man, Alex Villa, was convicted and is serving life. Jennifer Blagg is his attorney.
“We just got a disc of discovery that is a bombshell," she said. "It proves the Cook County State’s Attorneys assigned to this case lied to judges, lied in court filings and possessed exculpatory evidence and hid it."
Clay said he was "just sitting in jail for nothing" and knew he was innocent.
“No amount of money is going to give us back the time," said Colon. "My mom passed away while I was incarcerated. That was real dark days in there.”
The lawyers say evidence proving that the three were not together and were not at the scene of the crime was destroyed or not turned over.
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