Aaron Patterson

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Charge:	First Degree Murder
Sentence:	Death
Years Imprisoned:	16.7
Year Crime:	1986
Year Convicted:	1989
Year Cleared:	2003
U.S. State or Country of Crime:	Illinois
County or Region of Crime:	Cook
City of Crime:	Chicago
Result:	Pardoned
Summary of Case:	"Aaron Patterson and Eric Caine were co-defendants wrongly convicted of murdering a husband and wife in Chicago in 1986. The prosecution of both men was based on their false confessions extracted by Chicago police using torture techniques. Patterson was tortured by placing a plastic bag over his head. After their convictions by separate juries Patterson was sentenced to death, and Caine was sentenced to life in prison. The convictions of both men came under review based on new evidence that Chicago PD Commander Burge and his subordinates routinely used torture to extract false confessions. Aaron Patterson was pardoned by Illinois Governor George Ryan on Jan. 10, 2003, after spending 15 years on Illinois' death row. Caine's convictions were overturned and his charges dismissed in 2011. Patterson was awarded $161,578 in compensation by the State of Illinois in 2003. In 2007 Patterson settled his federal civil rights lawsuit against the City of Chicago for $5 million. Caine settled his federal civil rights lawsuit against the City of Chicago in July 2013 for $10 million. Caine filed a wrongful imprisonment compensation claim with the State of Illinois, and he was awarded $208,800."
Conviction Caused By:	Tortured into a false confession by police who suffocated him by placing a plastic bag over his head.
Innocence Proved By:	"Aaron Patterson was pardoned by IL Gov. George Ryan on Jan. 10, 2003,"
Defendant Aided By:
Compensation Awarded:	"$5,161,578 total. $161,000 (State of Illinois, 2003) and $5,000,000 (City of Chicago, 2007)"
Was Perpetrator Identified?
Age When Imprisoned:	21
Age When Released:	38
Sex:	Male
Skin/Ethnicity:	Black
Information Source 1:	"Illinois Governor George Ryan Pardoned Four Innocent Men Condemned to Death ON January 10, 2003, and the Next Day He Cleared Illinois' Death Row, Hans Sherrer, Justice Denied magazine, Vol. 2, Issue 9, pg. 25-30."
Information Location 1:	http://www.justicedenied.org/governorryan.htm
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Aaron Patterson

Charge:

First Degree Murder

Sentence:

Death

Years Imprisoned:

16.7

Year Crime:

1986

Year Convicted:

1989

Year Cleared:

2003

U.S. State or Country of Crime:

Illinois

County or Region of Crime:

Cook

City of Crime:

Chicago

Result:

Pardoned

Summary of Case:

Conviction Caused By:

Tortured into a false confession by police who suffocated him by placing a plastic bag over his head.

Innocence Proved By:

"Aaron Patterson was pardoned by IL Gov. George Ryan on Jan. 10, 2003,"

Defendant Aided By:

Compensation Awarded:

"$5,161,578 total. $161,000 (State of Illinois, 2003) and $5,000,000 (City of Chicago, 2007)"

Was Perpetrator Identified?

Age When Imprisoned:

21

Age When Released:

38

Sex:

Male

Skin/Ethnicity:

Black

Information Source 1:

"Illinois Governor George Ryan Pardoned Four Innocent Men Condemned to Death ON January 10, 2003, and the Next Day He Cleared Illinois' Death Row, Hans Sherrer, Justice Denied magazine, Vol. 2, Issue 9, pg. 25-30."

Information Location 1:

http://www.justicedenied.org/governorryan.htm

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