Thomas Burnside

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Charge:	Drug related conspiracy
Sentence:	Exonerated After Conviction But Prior to Sentencing
Years Imprisoned:
Year Crime:	1988
Year Convicted:	1991
Year Cleared:	1994
U.S. State or Country of Crime:	Illinois - Federal Case
County or Region of Crime:	Cook
City of Crime:	Chicago
Result:	Judicially Exonerated Released
Summary of Case:	"Codell Griffin, Thomas Burnside, and C. D. Jackson were codefendants wrongly convicted in 1991 of conspiring to provide illegal drugs to the El Rukin gang in Chicago, Illinois. None of the co-defendants were members of the gang. After their convictions by a jury after a five week trial, the government recommended sentences of 160 years for Burnside; 80 years for Griffin; and life in prison for Jackson. Prior to their sentencing the codefendants discovered exculpatory evidence undermining the credibility of the prosecution's jailhouse witnesses that had not been disclosed prior to or during their trial. The convictions of Griffin, Burnside, and Jackson were vacated on June 13, 1993 by U.S. District Court Judge Holderman based on the prosecutions failure to disclose material Brady evidence. The felony drug conspiracy charges against Jackson were dismissed after he agreed to plead guilty to an unrelated misdemeanor marijuna possession charge, and he was sentenced to time served. The U.S. Attorney's Office moved to dismiss the charges against Griffin and Burnside, stating: "Because the post-trial hearings in this case have undercut the viability of certain witnesses that testified in the first trial, the available evidence appears insufficient to prosecute Burnside and Griffin." Both remained in custody on unrelated drug charges."
Conviction Caused By:	Prosecution concealed exculpatory Brady evidence from the defendants.
Innocence Proved By:	"The convictions of Griffin, Burnside, and Jackson were vacated on June 13, 1993 by U.S. District Court Judge Holderman based on the prosecutions failure to disclose material Brady evidence. The felony drug conspiracy charges against Jackson were dismissed after he agreed to plead guilty to an unrelated misdemeanor marijuna possession charge, and the U.S. Attorney's Office moved to dismiss the charges against Griffin and Burnside, stating: "Because the post-trial hearings in this case have undercut the viability of certain witnesses that testified in the first trial, the available evidence appears insufficient to prosecute Burnside and Griffin.""
Defendant Aided By:
Compensation Awarded:
Was Perpetrator Identified?
Age When Imprisoned:
Age When Released:
Sex:	Male
Skin/Ethnicity:	Black
Information Source 1:	"USA v. Thomas Burnside, et al., 824 F.Supp. 1215 (1993) (Vacating convictions of Griffin, Burnside and Jackson based on prosecution's Brady violations.)"
Information Location 1:	http://www.leagle.com/decision/19932039824FSupp1215_11890.xml/U.S.%20v.%20BURNSIDE
Information Source 2:	"USA v. Codell Griffin, 856 F.Supp. 1293 (1994) (Ruling there was insufficient evidence to retry Griffin and Burnside, and Jackson's charge was dismissed in exchange for guilty plea to misdemeanor marijuana possession.)"
Information Location 2:	http://www.leagle.com/decision/19942149856FSupp1293_11984
Information Source 3:	"Judge Reverses 3 Convictions In Gang Cases, By Don Terry, The New York Times, June 5, 1993"
Information Location 3:	http://www.nytimes.com/1993/06/05/us/judge-reverses-3-convictions-in-gang-cases.html
Information Source 4:	"Ruling Threatens Rukn Convictions, By Matt O'Connor, Chicago Tribune, June 05, 1993"
Information Location 4:	http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1993-06-05/news/9306050074_1_rukn-leaders-new-trial-two-key-government-witnesses
Information Source 5:	"Jury Convicts 3 In Rukn Drug Trial, By Staff writer, Chicago Tribune, November 1, 1991"
Information Location 5:	http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1991-11-01/news/9104080273_1_jury-convicted-south-side-street-gang
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Thomas Burnside

Charge:

Drug related conspiracy

Sentence:

Exonerated After Conviction But Prior to Sentencing

Years Imprisoned:

Year Crime:

1988

Year Convicted:

1991

Year Cleared:

1994

U.S. State or Country of Crime:

Illinois - Federal Case

County or Region of Crime:

Cook

City of Crime:

Chicago

Result:

Judicially Exonerated Released

Summary of Case:

Conviction Caused By:

Prosecution concealed exculpatory Brady evidence from the defendants.

Innocence Proved By:

Defendant Aided By:

Compensation Awarded:

Was Perpetrator Identified?

Age When Imprisoned:

Age When Released:

Sex:

Male

Skin/Ethnicity:

Black

Information Source 1:

"USA v. Thomas Burnside, et al., 824 F.Supp. 1215 (1993) (Vacating convictions of Griffin, Burnside and Jackson based on prosecution's Brady violations.)"

Information Location 1:

http://www.leagle.com/decision/19932039824FSupp1215_11890.xml/U.S.%20v.%20BURNSIDE

Information Source 2:

"USA v. Codell Griffin, 856 F.Supp. 1293 (1994) (Ruling there was insufficient evidence to retry Griffin and Burnside, and Jackson's charge was dismissed in exchange for guilty plea to misdemeanor marijuana possession.)"

Information Location 2:

http://www.leagle.com/decision/19942149856FSupp1293_11984

Information Source 3:

"Judge Reverses 3 Convictions In Gang Cases, By Don Terry, The New York Times, June 5, 1993"

Information Location 3:

http://www.nytimes.com/1993/06/05/us/judge-reverses-3-convictions-in-gang-cases.html

Information Source 4:

"Ruling Threatens Rukn Convictions, By Matt O'Connor, Chicago Tribune, June 05, 1993"

Information Location 4:

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1993-06-05/news/9306050074_1_rukn-leaders-new-trial-two-key-government-witnesses

Information Source 5:

"Jury Convicts 3 In Rukn Drug Trial, By Staff writer, Chicago Tribune, November 1, 1991"

Information Location 5:

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1991-11-01/news/9104080273_1_jury-convicted-south-side-street-gang

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