
A lawyer who helped clear three accused cop killers scolds police and prosecutors
WBEZ News · WBEZ Chicago
October 3, 20244m 12s
Audio is streamed directly from the publisher (podcast-stream.wbez.org) as published in their RSS feed. Play Podcasts does not host this file. Rights-holders can request removal through the copyright & takedown page.
Show Notes
Cook County prosecutors have dropped their case against a man convicted in the 20-11 murder of Chicago Police Officer Clifton Lewis.
A judge then threw out that conviction and a sentence of life in prison for Alexander Villa [VIH-lah, not VEE-yah].
That means the three men charged with Lewis’ killing have all had their cases dismissed — and no one is being held responsible for a cop’s murder.
At yesterday’s (wed) hearing, attorneys for Lewis’s relatives argued there was enough evidence to put Villa on trial again.
But the judge said charging decisions are up to prosecutors.
Villa’s [VIH-lah] defense attorney, Jennifer Blagg, worked nearly five years to get the conviction reversed.
She spoke with WBEZ’s Chip Mitchell outside the courthouse.
HOST: DIXON