Legal Commentary

Alton Logan Free After 26 Years in Prison

By TChris

Alton Logan's mother and grandmother both died during his 26 years in prison. He had the chance to visit their graves this weekend, after his release from a sentence for a murder that was likely committed by someone else.

Two attorneys for a convicted cop killer had known for 26 years of Logan's innocence but had kept silent because of the attorney-client privilege. Their client, Andrew Wilson, had confessed to them that he shotgunned a security guard to death in January 1982, but he insisted they only reveal his admission after his death. Wilson, who was serving a life sentence for the murders of two Chicago police officers, died in prison of natural causes Nov. 19.

On Friday, a judge listened to the testimony of a former employee of the McDonald's where the security guard was killed. The employee identified a picture of Wilson as the killer. A witness who tutored Wilson in prison testified that Wilson once told him about shooting a gun in a McDonald's. Prosecutors insist that Logan is guilty, but Judge James Schreier ruled that the new evidence made it reasonably probable that Logan would be acquitted if he were tried again. He freed Logan on $1,000 bail.

Full post as published by TalkLeft on April 20, 2008 (boomark / email).