Illinois Innocence Project

A long-time Boston College Innocence Program client had his legal ordeal end Wednesday, when a retrial in his case resulted in his being by a jury. Elvio Marrero lost 28 years to imprisonment after being convicted of murder in 1996. His conviction was thrown out by the Massachussetts Supreme Judicial Court in 2024, with the prosecution electing to retry him. His defense counsel in the proceedings was able to show the jury that on the day that a medical examiner said the murder took place, Marrero was in New York getting on board a plane to the Dominican Republic, travel that was backed up by his passport records.

Jury finds former Greenfield man not guilty of 1994 murder in retrial - Greenfield Recorder Former Greenfield man acquitted of murder charges after retrial. Elvio J. Marrero found not guilty, two years after release from prison.

It's hard to imagine news that puts a finer point on Illinois' progress towards compensation reform than this -- just one year ago became the 41st state to implement such a program, but this year legislators are essentially going to starve the program to death, refusing to fund it in the state's budget. They approved $3 million to start the fund last year. No money is allocated this year. By comparison, the state's overall budget is $18.3 billion.

Arizona exoneration fund to go belly up under new state budget | Arizona Capitol Times Arizona's Erroneous Convictions Fund may not last much longer.

Last week's progress on compensating the in Illinois continues to stir discussion this week in the state. It was the topic on today's edition of the "The 21st Show" which airs on NPR affiliates across the state via Illinois Public Media.

You can hear the broadcast here:

What do we owe Illinoisans who were unjustly convicted of crimes? In Illinois, when someone is convicted of a crime they didn't commi...

After years of a difficult fight, a major milestone finally arrived for IIP client Jerry Herrington in June 2020 when he was released after completing his sentence. Jerry had been locked up for the previous 29 years, wrongfully convicted at age 16 for a crime he did not commit. Jerry’s case featured hallmark signs of : physical and psychological abuse of a juvenile by law enforcement, interrogation of a juvenile in the absence of an attorney or a parent and the use of a single testimony to create a false “eyewitness identification.” Once freed, IIP did not stop working to prove Jerry’s , and in 2025, did just that, with Cook County authorities dismissing all charges and fully exonerating him. The photo here is from that day, with Jerry and his IIP legal team meeting the media after the hearing.

Continuing with our tributes to our graduating seniors from the University of Illinois Springfield who have also been part of our work at IIP, today we recognize Greta Kohnz. A native of Valmeyer, Ill., she now holds degrees of a Bachelor of Arts in legal studies and a Bachelor of Arts in political science.

Of her internship with IIP, she says what most stands out is how it "has solidified my passion to help those who have been wronged by the criminal justice system." Greta's next step is to continue with her legal education, enrolling at the Saint Louis University School of Law.

Thank you for your work, and best of luck going forward!

Good media reporting on the passage of the Illinois bill that IIP supported, along with a favorable court ruling, that both could end up making the way forward easier for .

In Illinois, Legislation and a Court Ruling Could Help People Move On After Wrongful Convictions Days after an appeals court ruled that some people should automatically get certificates of innocence, Illinois legislators passed a bill to raise compensation for wrongful convictions.

Tremendous news! The Illinois General Assembly has unanimously passed landmark legislation increasing restitution for Illinois . IIP has been a key supporter of this legislation, and has spearheaded various iterations of an exoneree restitution bill since 2020. During the past four years, a team of exonerees, volunteers, legislators and IIP staff came together to move this legislation over the finish line. The result was the passage of HB3663 with incredible bipartisan support (116-0 in the House; 58-0 in the Senate), with Representative Justin Slaughter and Senator Elgie Sims serving as sponsors.

In five of the last six years, Illinois has led the nation in number of exonerations. Yet the state has paid exonerees among the nation’s lowest restitution level – an average of $11,190 per year of wrongful imprisonment. Adding insult to injury, total Illinois restitution is capped so the longer an innocent person was wrongfully imprisoned the less compensation per year they receive. HB3663 removes that cap. Under this bill, the State Court of Claims can now award an exoneree up to the federally recommended minimum standard of $50,000 for each year wrongfully spent in prison.

“The Illinois Innocence Project is incredibly grateful for the bipartisan legislative support and successful passage of this bill,” IIP Director Stephanie Kamel said. “Unanimous votes in the House and Senate demonstrate that legislators acknowledge the injustice experienced by Illinois exonerees and recognize this bill can help them in a small way as they go forward in freedom.”

Illinois exonerees are innocent women and men – mothers/fathers, daughters/sons, wives/husbands – who were wrongfully taken from their communities and deprived of the opportunity to obtain an education, make a living, raise their families and contribute to their communities. While nothing can make up for decades of lost income and opportunity, HB3663 substantially increases compensation from the current below-poverty level.

Attorneys Josh Tepfer and Lauren Myerscough-Mueller at the Exoneration Project assisted with initial drafting and provided feedback as negotiations and amendments were discussed. To get HB3663 to final form and passage, the following individuals deserve special recognition for the countless hours they gave to meeting with IIP’s legislative team, external stakeholders and various agencies, drafting amendments and sending out calls for witness slip filings, and the many days and nights they spent at the Capitol engaging with legislators and testifying at committee hearings:

-- Freed and exonerated individuals Brian Beals, James Kluppelberg, Johnnie Savory, Jimmy Soto and many others
-- Randy Witter, retired lobbyist and IIP volunteer
-- Brian Otwell, retired judge and IIP volunteer
-- After Innocence staff Jon Eldan (executive director) and James Mink (policy director)
-- Current and former IIP leadership – Stephanie Kamel (director), Lauren Kaeseberg (legal director), Larry Golden (founding director) and John Hanlon (retired executive director).

Read more about this landmark victory at: https://emails.uofi.uis.edu/newsletter/37/1245443837.html

The Mississippi Supreme Court has cleared the way for a woman imprisoned for the last 11 years to receive a new trial, after her was overturned back in December. Numerous issues have surfaced that raise doubts in the case against Tameshia Shelton, who was convicted of murdering her sister's boyfriend. One of the biggest issues is that the boyfriend apparently left behind a su***de note, something that Shelton's attorney completely ignored or overlooked at trial. Another related key issue was the testimony of a young medical examiner, who ruled the death a . He since has called the conclusion an “error” due to lack of experience.

Court paves way for new murder trial for Tameshia Shelton - Mississippi Today In a 6-1 vote Thursday, the Mississippi Supreme Court let stand a state Court of Appeals decision, ordering a new trial for Tameshia Shelton.

Continuing our posts honoring the graduating seniors from the University of Illinois Springfield who have been part of our work at IIP, today we share a little bit about Ira Joshi.

Ira is originally from Pune, Maharashtra in and just earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Legal Studies. Of her time with IIP, she says, "The work I was able to do at IIP solidified my interest in pursuing a legal career. Apart from my academic growth, I am also walking away with lifelong friendships and mentorships that I am grateful for."

A legal career is in Ira's future, as she will be beginning law school at Saint Louis University in the fall. Best of luck, Ira!

Recent trends have seen improvement in in the recidivism rate among returning citizens coming out of the state's Department of Corrections. Some of that improvement can be traced to efforts like the Summit of Hope, an event held in last week to connect those returning home with services and support that can help them build a new foundation for their lives.

Featured in this story from NPR affiliate WGLT was Roosevelt Myles, who was freed after 28 years of in 2022. Now a paralegal and a resident of Peoria, he is one of three exonerees who along with an attorney helped create ABC Reentry, one of the non-profit agencies at the event. “Some of these people, we were locked up together,” Myles said. “You don't forget your friends. You come home. If you made it, help out. Pay it forward. It's easy.”

'You don't forget your friends': Summit of Hope in Bloomington gives community members a 2nd chance What started in 2008 as a reentry fair, has evolved into what organizers call a “one-stop shop” for parolees and probationers. The program is run by the Illinois Department of Corrections and the Illinois Department of Public Health.