Robert Wilson

Go to Database Search Page

Go to Database Index Page

Charge:	Attempted Murder
Sentence:	30 years
Years Imprisoned:	9.5
Year Crime:	1997
Year Convicted:	1999
Year Cleared:	2006
U.S. State or Country of Crime:	Illinois
County or Region of Crime:	Cook
City of Crime:	Chicago
Result:	Judicially Exonerated and Later Pardoned
Summary of Case:	"Robert Wilson was wWrongly convicted in 1999 of the February 28, 1997 attempted murder of a woman in Chicago. His conviction was based on his identification by the victim who had been slashed, and Wilson's confession after intense interrogation by the Chicago PD. Wilson was sentenced to 30 years in prison. After a federal judge granted his writ of habeas corpus and the victim recanted her identification of Wilson, the Cook County prosecutors office dropped the charges against Wilson and a Cook County judge ordered his release in December 2006. In July 2007 Wilson filed a federal civil rights lawsuit that alleged he had been beaten into a false confession, and the victim had been pressured to falsely identify Wilson as her attacker. On October 30, 2008 Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich pardoned Robert Wilson on the basis of his actual innocence. On March 12, 2012 a committee of the City of Chicago voted to settle Wilson's lawsuit for $3.6 million. Wilson has to pay his attorney fees out of the settlement amount."
Conviction Caused By:	"False confession by Wilson coerced by the police, and an erroneous eyewitness identification by the victim under police pressure for her to identify Wilson."
Innocence Proved By:	"After a federal judge granted his writ of habeas corpus and the victim recanted her identification of Wilson, the Cook County prosecutors office dropped the charges against Wilson and a Cook County judge ordered his release in December 2006. On October 30, 2008 Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich pardoned Robert Wilson on the basis of his actual innocence."
Defendant Aided By:	Northwestern University's Center on Wrongful Convictions
Compensation Awarded:	"$3.6 million (City of Chicago, March 2012)"
Was Perpetrator Identified?	Yes
Age When Imprisoned:	42
Age When Released:	51
Sex:	Male
Skin/Ethnicity:	Black
Information Source 1:	"Man Challenges DNA Murder Conviction, By Kristen Kridel, CBS NY Chnl 42, July 17, 2007"
Information Location 1:	"http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/northshore/chi-suitjul18,1,4735063.story"
Information Source 2:	"City of Chicago to pay man $3.6 million for wrongful conviction, By Fran Spielman (staff writer), Chicago Sun-Times, March 12, 2012"
Information Location 2:	http://www.suntimes.com/news/crime/11239478-418/city-of-chicago-to-pay-man-36-million-for-wrongful-conviction.html
Information Source 3:
Information Location 3:
Information Source 4:
Information Location 4:
Information Source 5:
Information Location 5:
Book About Case:
Book Information:
Book About Case (2):
Book Information (2):
Movie About Case:
Comments About Case:

Go to Database Search Page

Go to Database Index Page

Robert Wilson

Charge:

Attempted Murder

Sentence:

30 years

Years Imprisoned:

9.5

Year Crime:

1997

Year Convicted:

1999

Year Cleared:

2006

U.S. State or Country of Crime:

Illinois

County or Region of Crime:

Cook

City of Crime:

Chicago

Result:

Judicially Exonerated and Later Pardoned

Summary of Case:

Conviction Caused By:

"False confession by Wilson coerced by the police, and an erroneous eyewitness identification by the victim under police pressure for her to identify Wilson."

Innocence Proved By:

Defendant Aided By:

Northwestern University's Center on Wrongful Convictions

Compensation Awarded:

"$3.6 million (City of Chicago, March 2012)"

Was Perpetrator Identified?

Yes

Age When Imprisoned:

42

Age When Released:

51

Sex:

Male

Skin/Ethnicity:

Black

Information Source 1:

"Man Challenges DNA Murder Conviction, By Kristen Kridel, CBS NY Chnl 42, July 17, 2007"

Information Location 1:

"http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/northshore/chi-suitjul18,1,4735063.story"

Information Source 2:

"City of Chicago to pay man $3.6 million for wrongful conviction, By Fran Spielman (staff writer), Chicago Sun-Times, March 12, 2012"

Information Location 2:

http://www.suntimes.com/news/crime/11239478-418/city-of-chicago-to-pay-man-36-million-for-wrongful-conviction.html

Information Source 3:

Information Location 3:

Information Source 4:

Information Location 4:

Information Source 5:

Information Location 5:

Book About Case:

Book Information:

Book About Case (2):

Book Information (2):

Movie About Case:

Comments About Case: