Federal Jury Rejects Stephanie Orejel's Bizarre Story That A Chicago Police Officer Sucked Her Toes At The Diplomat Motel

The plaintiff, Stephanie Orejel, alleged that on December 8, 2007, she was sexually assaulted by Chicago Police Officer Patrick Cain. Ms. Orejel alleged that on that date, she was coming out of her motel room at the Diplomat Motel, located at 5230 N. Lincoln Avenue, when she was stopped by Officer Cain in an unmarked police car. Ms. Orejel alleged that as she was walking to the store, Officer Cain called her over to his car, asked her for her purse and room key, and then used his office to intimidate her into going up to her motel room with him.

Once in the motel room, Ms. Orejel alleged that Officer Cain searched her room for drugs, searched her body for track marks, and then put two of her toes in his mouth. At that point, Ms. Orejel allegedly told Officer Cain that she wanted to leave, and the two of them then exited the motel room and went back down to the car. When they got to the car, Ms. Orejel retrieved her purse from Officer Cain’s partner, who had stayed in the car for the entire twenty-minute time period during which Ms. Orejel and Officer Cain were in the motel room. After retrieving her purse, Ms. Orejel continued on to the store and purchased some chips and donuts.

The jury deliberated for approximately one and one-half days and ultimately returned a verdict in favor of the defendants on all three counts - rejecting plaintiff's bizarre story.  

Officer Cain was represented by Edith Holland and James Thompson of the Law Offices of Joseph Roddy. The City of Chicago was represented by Arlene Martin, Robin Shoffner, and Brandon Keel of the Corporation Counsel's Office. Plaintiff was represented by Blake Horwitz.
 

Judge Jeffrey Cole Rejects Jerry Miller's Request For Defense Expert Arthur Young's Serology Files

In a 12 page opinion issued yesterday, Judge Jeffrey Cole denied plaintiff's motion to compel case files from defense expert Arthur Young.  Plaintiff sought documents in 10-15 cases in which Mr. Young conducted Absorption/Inhibition testing.  Mr. Young has opined that defendant Raymond Lenz's inconclusive findings in the Jerry Miller testing were appropriate.  Plaintiff contends that Mr. Young does not use appropriate methods in interpreting and lacks proficiency in Absorption/Inhibition testing.   Plaintiff provided no evidence to support that and their motion was rejected.  

The case is set for trial on February 22, 2010 before United States District Judge Suzanne Conlon.   

As previously reported,  the police officer defendants were dismissed from the lawsuit after Judge Conlon found that the police did not fabricate any evidence against Jerry Miller and that this was an unfortunate case of eyewitness misidentification.    

Court Rejects Reynold Moore's Bid For New Trial - Finds Alleged "New" Evidence Not Credible

 A Wisconsin judge has rejected Reynold Moore's request for a new trial according to the Green Bay Press Gazette. Moore was one of six men convicted in 1995 of killing a co-worker. Moore's attorneys from the Wisconsin Innocence Project claimed there was "new" evidence - but this alleged "new" evidence turned out to be testimony from a prison inmate who now claimed that Moore had actually tried to prevent the group beating. This same prisoner had testified at trial that Moore admitted to him in jail that he participated in the killing. In rejecting this "new" evidence retired reserve Judge James Bayorgeon stated "It might be said that this testimony and recollections are strongly influenced by wind direction."  Judge Bayorgeon further ruled that even without the prisoner's testimony a jury would have likely convicted Moore.

Convicted Murder MIchael Tillman Seeks New Trial - He Now Claims Jon Burge Tortured His Confession

ABC7News in Chicago is reporting that MIchael Tilman may be freed this week after 20 years in prison for the murder of Betty Howard in 1986.  Attorneys for Michael Tillman claim that Jon Burge tortured him. Flint Tyalor of the People's Law Office contends Burge "used a form of water boarding, putting water under his nose or 7Up...they put a gun to his head...they beat him,"  The hearing on TIllman's motion for new trial is set for thursday,  Stay tuned....

In July of 1986, someone attacked Betty Howard in her apartment building. Howard was preparing for her son's two year old birthday, but she didn't show up. Howard's son is believed to have been with her until she was found dead a day later.

At the time, police said Michael Tillman committed the crime. Tillman confessed, was convicted and is serving time.

One quick note:  It is quite amazing to see all these people in the last few years who now claim they were tortured by Jon Burge.  It seems like everyone is claiming Burge tortured them.  Don't be so quick to judge. Betty Howard's daughter still belives that Tillman killed her mother. This is not a case where DNA has been uncovered which exonerates Tilman.  What evidence exists to say TIlman did not commit the crime?  

District Court Dismisses James Haley's Wrongful Conviction Lawsuit - Boston Man Was Represented By Chicago Attorney Jon Loevy

The Boston Globe is reporting that the a federal district court in Boston has dismissed a wrongful conviction lawsuit brought by Cambridge resident James Haley who spent 34 years in prison before a judge overturned his 1972 murder conviction. Haley learned in 2006 that certain police interviews had not been turned over to his attorney. The Suffolk District Attorney's office agreed the evidence should have been turned over and filed a motion to vacate Haley's conviction. Haley was freed on January 18, 2008 and prosecutors later decided not to retry Haley. U.S. district court judge Richard G. Stearns rejected claims that the detectives - now deceased - deliberately withheld inconsistent statements made by key witnesses and found that prosecutors - not the police - were responsible for disclosing evidence to the defense and that in 1972 the law was not clear on whether the prosecutors were obligated to share these witness statements with Haley's lawyer. Haley was represented in his civil suit by Chicago attorney Jon Loevy from the law firm of Loevy & Loevy.

More On The Battle Between The Cook County State's Attorney's Office And Northwestern University's Medill Innocence Project

 The February 2010 issue of Chicago magazine contains an article "The Professor and the Prosecutor: Anita Alvarez's office turns up the heat on David Protess's Medill Innocence Project" that discusses the ongoing battle over the subpoena that the Cook County State's Attorney's Office has served on the Medill Innocence Project. The main issue in the dispute is whether the students in Protess's class were acting as reporters. The article quotes Alvarez stating: "These students wrote no newspaper story on this case, they wrote no magazine articles. . . What is the purpose of this particular class? . . .  The whole purpose of this was to gather information for court, to gather information that they believe is going to exonerate someone." The article also quotes DuPage County state's attorney Joseph Birkett: "If you are working on an investigation and are assembling evidence for a team of lawyers, I'm sorry, you may be a journalist, but in that scenario you are an investigator, and the journalistic privilege is not going to apply." A court hearing on the dispute will be heard later this month by circuit court judge Diane Gordon Cannon.

Chicago Police Memorial Foundation's "Operation Santa" Is Awesome!

 This Christmas season, the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation's 
"Operation Santa" visited 32 children from several families of Chicago police officers who were killed or catastrophically injured in the line of duty. See the news report on ABC 7 News. What an awesome program - way to go Operation Santa!

Ulysses Rodriguez Charles Case - Hmm?

 Ulysses Rodriguez Charles was convicted of raping three women in a Brighton apartment back in 1980. He spent 18 years in prison before being released after DNA found on a robe and bedsheet belonged to two other men. Charles recently settled his civil lawsuit against the City of Boston for $3.25 million. Suffolk County prosecutors have insisted that the DNA evidence did not clear Charles because jurors at the trial had been told that the rapist did not ejaculate. Also, two of the women who were raped told the Boston Globe that they had no doubts that Charles was the man who raped them. Hmm??

Federal Immigration authorities intend to deport Charles to his native Trinidad as a result of other criminal convictions, including one in 1989 for trafficking in heroin while in prison.

More On "The Squeeze"

 Here's a sneek peek at "The Squeeze" which airs this Friday at 8:00 p.m. on MSNBC.

Check it out!

"The Squeeze" To Premier On MSNBC This Friday!

 A show about the Cook County Sheriff's Criminal Investigation Unit called "The Squeeze" premiers on MSNBC this Friday night at 8:00 p.m. The show follows officers as they try and flip convicted gang members to solve crimes. It has gotten great reviews and should be must-watch TV.