Comments on: Innocent Man Free After 26 Years In Prison

Alton Logan Freed On Bond After Being Granted A New Trial In Someone Else's Crime

[flajoe1]

Flajoe1,

Where did it say that he had a criminal history?
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Posted by whatithink at 02:25 PM

I found this:
"Alton Logan had his run-ins with police, too. By age 28, he had served time for armed robbery."

[julius2609]

well criminal background or not we are not living in nazi germany I believe to charge some or prosecute criminals you need to have your evidence in a row, there should be consequences for the people responsible making these mistakes either finacialy or career wise that will make them more carefull, just like surgeons are carefull you don''t die on their table...its scary how much power authorithy''s have in this country and how often this gets obused, and it only became worse after nine eleven, our privacy and civil rights are violated at a daily bases..

[flajoe1]

Flajoe1,

Where did it say that he had a criminal history?
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Posted by whatithink at 02:25 PM

Your right it did not say that in the article. I had seen this on the news awhile back and they mentioned he had a record. If I remember correctly it was how his name came up in the first place.

[whatithink-2009]

"Alton Logan was convicted of killing a security guard at a McDonald''s in Chicago in 1982. Police arrested him after a tip and got three eyewitnesses to identify him. Logan, his mother and brother all testified he was at home asleep when the murder occurred. But a jury found him guilty of first degree murder."

- I found that someone tipped the police that he was responsible. That''s how he became involved. I see nothing that said he had a criminal history. Could you provide the details?

[whatithink-2009]

Flajoe1,

Where did it say that he had a criminal history?

[whatithink-2009]

andersonk49,

You seem to think that people are only put in lineups if they have a previous conviction. This is not at all the case. The police round up people who fit a description. You do not need to have been guilty of something to be put into a lineup.

[flajoe1]

I think you guys are missing the point and are unaware of how things work in the inner cities. When this guy lied about his wife being shot in Boston several years ago, the police were arresting anyone who fit the description regardless of whether they were in the system or not. They rounded up whole groups of people and put them in line-ups, many of whom never had a record. ---

Posted by whatithink at 02:09 PM

What you say is true. I have been stopped by police three times in my life for matching the description of someone they were looking for. The fact that I had ZERO criminal history played a big part in them letting me go on my merry way.

If you do not want the police or the legal system in your life, do not invite them in by committing a crime. In this case the fact he had a criminal history played a part in his being picked up.

[walker1209]

I saw this piece on 60 MINUTES and thought, if this man had money he would not be in this position. Whether or not he had a record, it seems to me that he was clearly not guilty of what he was charged with. Aside being barbaric, this is my main argument against the death penalty. The well connected do not sit on death row, ever!!!!!

[whatithink-2009]

Flajoe1,

I think you guys are missing the point and are unaware of how things work in the inner cities. When this guy lied about his wife being shot in Boston several years ago, the police were arresting anyone who fit the description regardless of whether they were in the system or not. They rounded up whole groups of people and put them in line-ups, many of whom never had a record.

[flajoe1]

I''''m sure I will take a lot of flack for this but...Logan may have not committed this crime but he certainly wasn''''t "innocent". Mr. Logan was a convicted felon. He was in the lineup because of the crimes he DID commit. If you live a life of crime and felons are being rounded up in your neighborhood...that is a position you have allowed yourself to be put in. Nobody should have to serve time for a crime they didn''''t commit but mistakes happen and Mr. Logan has to accept some of the responsibility.
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Posted by andersonk49 at 01:05 PM

No flak from me. I think you did a great job making this point. If he had never committed a crime, he would have never been in the system to be picked up to begin with. This is one of MANY reasons not to commit crimes.

Yes he should be released and as far as the two lawyers who had this info. They were more concerned with protecting themselves then doing what was right. I%u2019m sure the legal system would have survived just fine if they had spoken out sooner. Sure, maybe they would have been disbarred but they should have taken that risk to protect the innocent. The system was more important to them then an innocent man.