Darien Harris, a Chicago man convicted of murder in 2014 based partly on testimony from a legally blind eyewitness, is suing the city and police department. Harris was sentenced to 76 years for a 2011 shooting but was released in December after The Exoneration Project revealed the eyewitness had advanced glaucoma and lied about his vision. Harris, who was 18 at the time of his arrest, alleges in an April lawsuit that police fabricated evidence and coerced witnesses.
“I don’t have any financial help. I’m still (treated like) a felon, so I can’t get a good job. It’s hard for me to get into school,” he said. “I’ve been so lost. … I feel like they took a piece of me that is hard for me to get back.”
The Chicago Tribune reported his ongoing challenges. Despite a gas station attendant testifying that Harris was not the shooter, the legally blind eyewitness identified him in a lineup and in court, claiming to have seen the shooter from his motorized scooter.
The Exoneration Project, which has exonerated over 200 individuals since 2009, played a key role in Harris’s release. Harris was 30 when he gained his freedom and continues to deal with the fallout from his wrongful conviction.
Link: AP News
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