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Wrongly Convicted Database Record
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Charge: |
Child/Minor Sex Abuse (incl. molestation) |
Sentence: |
3 years to life imprisonment |
Years Imprisoned: |
3 |
Year Crime: |
2009 |
Year Convicted: |
2012 |
Year Cleared: |
2015 |
U.S. State or Country of Crime: |
Illinois |
County or Region of Crime: |
Peoria |
City of Crime: |
Peoria |
Result: |
Judicially Exonerated Released |
Summary of Case: |
"Steven A. Cole was wrongly convicted in 2012 of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child, aggravated battery of a child, and aggravated criminal sexual abuse that occurred in January 2009 in Peoria County, Illinois. Cole's charges related to the alleged abuse of a 20 month old child Cole was babysitting. After Cole's conviction by a jury, he was sentenced to 25 years in prison. On May 7, 2015 the Illinois Court of Appeal, 3rd Div., reversed Steven Cole's conviction on the basis of prejudicial prosecutor misconduct that was so egregious that it was plain error because his lawyer didn't object during the State's closing argument that appealed for a conviction based on the juror's emotional reaction to the horrific nature of the crime and not the facts, and the prosectution introduced insufficient evidence of his guilt. Cole's retrial is barred by double jeopardy." |
Conviction Caused By: |
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Innocence Proved By: |
"On May 7, 2015 the Illinois Court of Appeal, 3rd Div., reversed Steven Cole's conviction on the basis of prejudicial prosecutor misconduct that was so egregious that it was plain error because his lawyer didn't object during the State's closing argument that appealed for a conviction based on the juror's emotional reaction to the horrific nature of the crime and not the facts, and the prosectution introduced insufficient evidence of his guilt. Cole's retrial is barred by double jeopardy." |
Defendant Aided By: |
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Compensation Awarded: |
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Was Perpetrator Identified? |
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Age When Imprisoned: |
59 |
Age When Released: |
62 |
Sex: |
Male |
Skin/Ethnicity: |
White |
Information Source 1: |
"People v. Steven Cole, 2015 IL App (3d) 120992-U (5-7-2015) (Reversing conviction on basis of insufficient evidence, which barred Cole's retrial.)" |
Information Location 1: |
http://www.illinoiscourts.gov/R23_Orders/AppellateCourt/2015/3rdDistrict/3120992_R23.pdf |
Information Source 2: |
"Appellate court tosses South Peoria man's 2012 conviction for sexually assaulting a child, By Andy Kravetz (Court's reporter), Star Journal (Peoria, Illinois), May 19, 2015" |
Information Location 2: |
http://www.pjstar.com/article/20150519/NEWS/150519118/0/ |
Information Source 3: |
"Peorian gets 25 years in child sex assault, By Matt Buedel, Star Journal (Peoria, Illinois), November 21, 2012" |
Information Location 3: |
http://www.pjstar.com/article/20121121/News/311219865 |
Information Source 4: |
"Peorian guilty in child sex assault, By Andy Kravetz, Star Journal (Peoria, Illinois), September 7, 2012" |
Information Location 4: |
http://www.pjstar.com/article/20120907/NEWS/309079904 |
Information Source 5: |
"South Peoria couple charged in child's assault, By Staff, Star Journal (Peoria, Illinois), April 6, 2009" |
Information Location 5: |
http://www.pjstar.com/article/20090406/NEWS/304069891 |
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Comments About Case: |
Innocents Database Created and Maintained by Hans Sherrer innocents@forejustice.org