Comments on: 26-Year Secret Kept Innocent Man In Prison

Lawyers Tell 60 Minutes They Were Legally Bound From Revealing Secret

[dee241usa]

This story is a travesty. Not only because of the spineless attorneys who probably would not have cared about their clients %u201Cbest interests%u201D if the slain security guard was one of their family. But also because 60 Minutes gave no mention at all about the family of the victim. Because of the spineless duos actions, the victim%u2019s family and loved ones never got a chance to face the person responsible for the death of their loved one. It must have been like a slap in the face when they found out what really happened and why.

[cecilek]

It is clear to me that these two attorneys were motivated by ego, whether they were aware of it or not, and lacked a sense of moral and human clarity and urgency. However, without lessening the impact of their actions, or inactions, I am convinced that the American justice system is ultimately to blame,and that there needs to be a sweeping and thorough revolution to establish a system that is truly just, a system that is blind to race, gender, and socioeconomic status. A system that by its very being not only encourages transparity and truth,but demands them from every person participating in this system.

[cecilek]

It is clear to me that these two attorneys were motivated by ego, whether they were aware of it or not, and lacked a sense of moral and human clarity and urgency. However, without lessening the impact of their actions, or inactions, I am convinced that the American justice system is ultimately to blame,and that there needs to be a sweeping and thorough revolution to establish a system that is truly just, a system that is blind to race, gender, and socioeconomic status. A system that by its very being not only encourages transparity and truth,but demands them from every person participating in this system.

OMG%u2026 Why didn%u2019t one of those attorneys call an anonymous crime hotline tip number! Give me a break!

Hey, I''d like to know if either of these lawyers have been married and then divorced%u2026if so, a vow and oath would have been broken.
I feel sorry for Mr. Logan as he has lost so much at the expense of two selfish attorneys who were more out to protect themselves rather than come forward and do the right thing so justice may prevail. Totally uncalled for!

[credibility2]

What if the situation involved the confidentiality of a member of the clergy, or a psychiatrist, for example? Would we be less likely to accept this as reasonable matters of privacy and/or ethics? Perhaps given the tragedy of this situation, the American Bar Association may want to consider what boundaries and limitations lawyers should place on themselves and their clients. I''m sure there are plenty of other, less tragic and egregious situations that have impacted both victim and criminal alike. The individual laws for each state needs to also be reassessed for situations like this. The system isn''t perfect, but it is generally right the majority of time. This situation, unfortunately isn''t one of them and is the exception more so than the norm.

[jim727]

perfect example of the ''soul'' of a lawyer (if that isnt an oxymoron), I had a serious liabilty matter, and appaently someone had cut the ragtop of his mercedes a few days before. He was inconsolable about it. I really couldnt get him to focus on the issue was was talking to him about, even though he was charging me $140 an hour

[jim727]

''the lawyers couldnt do anything''

correction, the lawyers WOULDNT do anything

lawyers destroy OTHER American citizens careers every day of the week, see this 4 minute youtube where lawyers destroy thousands of American tech workers careers with lies

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCbFEgFajGU

these lawyers could have said ''I''m not going to live with this'' and gotten the info, one way or another, to the DA. A DA cant use improperly gotten evidence to convict someone, but the CAN use it to stop prosecuting an innocent man! They dont need to prove anything to the court, they just stop prosecuting!

But these guys wouldnt risk their careers. They tell us ''we wouldnt understand''. They could have risked their careers, and the consequence to the system would have been "if you tell your lawyer something so despicable that he''d end his career for justice, what you say may get out to free an innocent man" i say so what

the bottom line is, these lawyers had an ethic only the lawyers in that youtube above would understand. that harming others, as a lawyer, is not doing wrong.

tell that to your maker, Jamie Kunz and Dale Coventry

every day of that 26 years was because of you

you could have found other careers if it came down to it, just ask any tech worker displaced by immigration lawyers who push discrimination against American citizens.

for all your lawyerbabble, it came down to this you were willing to sacrifice another man''s life to save your careers

[Jim1900]

All these brave comments are apparently by people who have never needed a lawyer when charged with a serious offense. Unless you change the rules of ethics for serious crimes (which may or may not be a good idea), it is just blowing smoke.

[carlylaine]

Isn''t the phrase ''JUSTICE in the United States'' an oxymoron? This is rampant...someone-and we know who-should be sued and sued HARD!

I hope Alton gets all his money quickly...and can live out his life in peace.

ALTON: You have to know majority of US who see this against you are really pulling for your happiness and peace in your heart.

GET ''EM where it hurts...and in the process get rid of the DA...and now! Alton was NIFONGed before the name was known.

[wildy2000]

It''s ridiculous! The most non-sense part is the two lawyers ''think'' they have done everything they can, their conscience has ''suffered'' as well... Why didn''t they just admit that they care about their own job more rather than any innocent people in jail? Love their own interests more than others? Stop hiding from the excuse that they should protect their client. Simply speaking, they are self-fish and self-centered.
If I was a lawyer, I would even risk being sued by my client, and not keeping the secrets for years. Isn''t this justice''s true meaning?
I hope the victim, Simon, knows many people around the world feel terribly sorry for his tragedy. Hope he can get reasonable compensation and stay positive in the rest of his life.

[kakime]

I certainly understand why the two lawyers did not reveal that their client was the killer and that an innocent man was sentenced to life in prison. What I cannot understand is how these two lawyers could sleep every night while this innocent man was in jail. It is unconscionable to me that these two would allow an innocent man to languish in jail knowing that he is innocent. I am an Illinois resident and am appalled at how many innocent people have been sent to jail in my state. The justice system here is broke!!!

[fobesq]

These attorneys need to be imprisoned. I am a lawyer. There is no way in hell that I would stand by and watch an innocent person go to prison for life, no matter the consequences. Ethics? Lawyers like these operate without ethics. They say they were protecting their client who had already committed two murders. They make me sick.

[HalFisher]

Lawyers have managed to talk themselves into circles sighting the "ethics" rule to actually rule out real ethics. I''m a programmer and a simple logic bug like that would never be left in a program. I do understand that if these lawyers would have talked they probably would have been sued by the actual murderer so this is a REAL problem that should be addressed and fixed at a much higher level.

[terramartom]

I am sickened when I see these two spineless attorneys legally wiesal their way our of this horrid lack of ethics. They did not speak out loud about this man''s innoscence not because of their duty to their client but rather because of the money they thought that they could lose in the future of their law careers.
These two greedy attorneys are no different than the corrupt attorney politicians we have had running the State governments and Federal govenment of this country the past 50 years.
These two attorneys should be put in jail for their immoral crime, these two blowhards, feel sorry for themselves? These two S.O.B.''s should have their own lives shortened!!!

[warzy123]

is there anything the public can do to convince the state of illinois to allow this innocent man to be set completely free and do away with the 1,000 bond? are there any ethical attorneys to advise? sixty minutes, what can we do??????

[goldjeans77]

regarding the man who went to jail for 26 years eventhough he was NOT guilty because 2 scumbags lawyers could/would not talk is absolutly OUTRAGEOUS these lawyers should be punished

[laniedayz]

What the hell difference did it make whether Andrews got this murder pinned on him anyway.. He was already in PRISON! So why did it matter?

I would risk getting disbarred and getting any sanctions that the court wanted to impose on me. Where is the justice here?

I will go to bed tonight having nightmares from what I witnessed tonight... and I am not even involved in the case. How do they live with themselves? Seriously?

[laniedayz]

This is so disgusting to me. It is another example of criminals getting more rights than the victims. Logan IS a victim here.. The person who was murdered was a victim. The victim''s family and Logan''s family were all victims.

The murdered security guard, Lloyd Wycliffe and his family NEVER got justice.

I am sorry but I could NOT remain silent, if I was Wilson''s attorney. I just wouldn''t do it. It might be against attorney/client privilege but I would rather go to jail for contempt of court or whatever violation the court imposed, than let a man rot in jail for 26 years.

I do NOT know how Dale Coventry and Jamie Kunz can sleep at night. There is no excuse for this -- absolutely NONE. I read more about the case and read that Wilson was found with a shootgun two days after the McDonald''s shootings and the shell casing matched up with the shootgun testing.

This is an absolute miscarriage of justice and completely unethical. How ironic that lawyers use the term "ethics" in conjunction with "attorney/client privilege"...the irony here is undeniable.

Set this man free, Illinois and compensate finanicially-- as much as possible -- for his wrongful conviction.

[narfull]

Bob Simon and 60 Minutes missed a major point in the story about Alton Logan and it''s a sad commentary on the U.S. today. Simon should have asked the attorneys why they did not risk disbarment than allow an innocent man to go to jail for life. They already knew their "client" was a convicted cop killer. They should have done what Henry David Thoreau, Moses, Jesus and any other person of moral character would have done---violated the law and accepted the consequences. Sometimes justice trumps the law. The lawyers should take a look at the Nuremberg trials for guidance. They had a moral obligation to risk disbarment instead of sending an innocent man to jail. And what court would have given them more than a slap on the wrist? The fact is, they are cowards and would have been good Nazis.

[ConsiderThis1]

When the Deutsche Bank lawyer lied in court, having foreclosed my condo behind my back, real estate prices were high and I had a buyer, today real estate prices are at a 23 year low and the appeals court is slow to correct its mistake, just as Alton Logan said in the piece.

If you think there is a justice system in the United States, think again.