(WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Illinois accounted for more than half of all the criminal exonerations in the country last year, according to the latest report from the National Registry of Exonerations.
This is the fifth year in a row the state has led all states in the number of exonerations.
The National Registry is compiled by the University of California Irvine and the law schools of the University of Michigan and Michigan State. It found Illinois had 126 exonerations last year, with the vast majority tied to cases involving corrupt ex-Chicago police Sgt. Ronald Watts.
Watts was accused of planting drugs on public housing residents who didn't submit to his extortion efforts.
The report found drug possession was the leading crime for which people were exonerated. The 233 people who had their crimes absolved last year spent more than 2,200 years in prison, collectively.
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