Despite reforms, some face life for murders they didn’t commit
Gerald Berry, 16 in this photo, holding his baby brother Kendrick. Berry is serving life in prison on a felony murder conviction. Photo courtesy Dorothea Ford
Hundreds of people in Illinois prisons are thought to be serving life sentences for murder even though they didn’t kill anyone, according to a recent analysis from the nonprofit news outlet Injustice Watch. It’s not a case of mistaken identity or a false confession, but a legal doctrine called the "felony murder rule." Last January, Illinois made some changes to its felony murder rule, but advocates say that because these reforms aren’t retroactive, many people, including a disproportionate number of women and young people, are facing life sentences for killings — even though they were not the ones who pulled the trigger.
The 21st was joined by someone affected by the rule, as well as two reporters following the story and the co-director of the Center for Wrongful Convictions.
GUESTS:
Gerald Berry
Serving a life sentence at Menard Correctional Center
Chloe Hilles
Former Reporter, Injustice Watch
Rita Oceguera
Reporter, Injustice Watch
Steven Drizin
Clinical Professor of Law, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law | Former Legal Director, Currernt Co-Director, Center for Wrongful Convictions
Advocates say Illinois’ reform of the felony murder rule didn’t do enough. Read our latest from @ritaguera25 and @chloehilles to learn more about what was left out on the reform and who was left behind. @Report4Americahttps://t.co/NFv6xZXkjY
— Injustice Watch (@injusticewatch) January 22, 2022
Prepared for web by Owen Henderson
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