26-Year Secret Kept Innocent Man In Prison

Lawyers Tell 60 Minutes They Were Legally Bound From Revealing Secret

(CBS)  This story was originally broadcast on March 9, 2008. It was updated on May 23, 2008.

This is a story about an innocent man who languished in prison for 26 years while two attorneys who knew he was innocent stayed silent. As correspondent Bob Simon reported earlier this year, they did so because they felt they had no choice.

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.

Now new evidence reveals that Logan did not commit that murder, something that was not new to those two attorneys, who knew it all along but say they couldn't speak out until now.

Alton Logan's story cuts to the core of America's justice system.

---

Simon met Alton Logan in prison, where he's spent almost half of his life.

Asked if he still counts the months and days, Logan told Simon, "There’s no need to count the months and the days. Just count the years."

Logan said that during the first five or six years he was "consumed" by anger. "Then I come to the realization that 'Why be angry over something you can't control?'"

Logan, who maintains he didn't commit the murder, thought they were "crazy" when he was arrested for the crime.

Attorneys Dale Coventry and Jamie Kunz knew Logan had good reason to think that, because they knew he was innocent. And they knew that because their client, Andrew Wilson, who they were defending for killing two policemen, confessed to them that he had also killed the security guard at McDonald's - the crime Logan was charged with.

"We got information that Wilson was the guy and not Alton Logan. So we went over to the jail immediately almost and said, 'Is that true? Was that you?' And he said, 'Yep it was me,'" Kunz recalled.

"He just about hugged himself and smiled. I mean he was kind of gleeful about it. It was a very strange response," Kunz said, recalling how Wilson had reacted.

"How did you interpret that response?" Simon asked.

"That it was true and that he was tickled pink," Kunz said.

"He was pleased that the wrong guy had been charged. It was like a game and he'd gotten away with something. But there was just no doubt whatsoever that it was true. I mean I said, 'It was you with the shotgun-you killed the guy?' And he said, 'Yes,' and then he giggled," Coventry added.

The problem was the killer was their client. So, legally, they had to keep his secret even though an innocent man was about to be tried for murder.

"I know a lot of people who would say, 'Hey if the guy's innocent you've got to say so. You can't let him rot because of that,'" Simon remarked.

"Well, the vast majority of the public apparently believes that, but if you check with attorneys or ethics committees or you know anybody who knows the rules of conduct for attorneys, it’s very, very clear-it's not morally clear-but we're in a position to where we have to maintain client confidentiality, just as a priest would or a doctor would. It's just a requirement of the law. The system wouldn't work without it," Coventry explained.

So that was the dilemma. They couldn't speak out, they felt, but how could they remain silent?

[antoniof123]

Logan had 26 years in prison to try to understand why he was convicted for a crime he didn''t commit.

Logan, still in jail,

"The rules of conduct for attorneys, it''s very, very clear%u2026. We''re in a position to where we have to maintain client confidentiality, just as a priest would or a doctor would. It''s just a requirement of the law. The system wouldn%u2019t work without it," says Coventry.

So when Jefferson said it is better for 100 guilty men to go free then 1 to face the gallows I guess to these guys he wasn''t talking to them.

There are rules and orders that you should not follow they are a crime all in themselves. If these men knew I have no sympothy for them they are more crimanal then the murderer who commited the crime.

Sad world where an innocent man faces the gallows and a guilty man walks free for the crime.

[tireslinger]

The two men that kept quiet can call thereselves attorneys because they went to school, and passed their bars...but much more importantly, can they call themselves decent human beings...absolutely not! They may have abided by legal law, and of course, saved their careers, but it''s a good thing that one cannot be prosecuted for violating moral law. Twenty six years of a human beings life is gone, he can''t get it back...not ever. He can''t be paid enough money to make it worth it...ever. Shame on both of you...I wouldn''t partake of either of your services, even if you offerred it for free!

[ivandrago]

The law should be changed to say hey if you (the criminal) tell me you did it I''m required to reveal it. The lawyer should never have to become an accomplice to a crime. If it''s not an attorney you would go to jail for not revealing such things.

[theusa1st]

These two lawyers are another example of human selfishness....and yes they are just pure scum. They are morally bankrupt and deserve to rot in HELL for what they did to this poor man...absolutely appalling.

[questionnews]

Prosecutors are in no way interested in finding the truth. They are all about getting a conviction regardless of the facts and they don%u2019t seem to care one hoot about whether or not they are sending an innocent person to jail. It%u2019s built into their job! The only way for a prosecutor to move up the ladder or to be recognized for promotions is to compare the number of convictions he has gotten based on the number of cases tried. If they actually pursued %u201Ctruth & justice%u201D the ratio of conviction under their belt would drop and they go nowhere in their profession. For a prosecutor the only way to move up in job status in to ignore the truth & fact and shaft anyone they can for their own. Sad but true.

[asor1-2009]

If thier lips are moving.... They let an innocent man waste away in prison. Cowards, even before their known attribute of being liars.

[caliengineer]

I think those lawyers are scum. I''ll bet, like other lawyers, they squeeze and manipulate and jump through loopholes all the time.

But not for someone else. Not for this guy they don''t know, who isn''t their client.

And, btw, doctors and priests are required by law to report confessions of murder or plans for murder.

[antoniof123]

One other thing this guy is still in jail. Why?

[killtheliars]

If i were him since i was used to prison i would go kill both of the lawyers. when the system doesn''t give you justice you have to get it yourself!

[kevsan1]

Another case in point about what is wrong in the legal system. Of course, as long as we have lawyers running things in Washington and elsewhere, this is what we''re going to get. One more reason not to vote for Hillary and her kind. This is not justice. Justice has been perverted by those in its system.

[nolalou]

This is more an issue of the law needing to be changed. If the lawyers violated the law, and repeated what their client told them, they not only would face disbarment, and no longer be able to practice law, they could also be prosecuted themselves. To reveal what a client tells his or her lawyer is illegal! Yeah, it stinks in this case, and it may be easy for us blame the lawyers, but I blame the law in this case.

[hungry1968]

"26-Year Secret Kept Innocent Man In Prison
Lawyers Tell 60 Minutes They Were Legally Bound From Revealing Secret"





Further proof that our legal system is irreparably broken and needs to be massively overhauled and / or replaced altogether.

Either way, these two lawyers should be jailed and they should PERSONALLY be forced to pay this man''s restitution - even if it means bankrupting them. (That is bankrupting them financially - they''re obviously already bankrupt morally.)

[romeaux]

good thought, Questionnews; but these guys, as prosecutors still would have gotten their conviction had they done the right thing and told another prosecutor (anonymously) to investigate Wilson.....scum is too good a term.

[waterandsand]

They could of let it slip to someone to invistigate there client in other means. They didnt have to directly come out and say there client commited the crime but they could of done something to get someone to look at a different suspect.
well on the positive note this guy is gonna get paid, so really hes retiring early while most of us sit in this prison of 8 to 5''s til were 65.

[tehkummah-2009]

These two can colour it anyway they want to help themselves sleep at night. The only right thing would have been to come forward, and if so happens, lose their right to practice law. It''s a small price to pay given that their reprehensible decision cost Mr. Logan the right to live his life. How can those lawyers sleep at night? Mr. Logan...find a good lawyer, find a loophole, and sue the pair.

[avenger09123]

What was that line....from the pledge of allegiance I think it was.....Justice for All.....absolute horsepoopoo. I say the truth should always be first, confidentiality or privacy be dam#ed. I would not have lived with that on my conscience for 26 years. These guys wanted their occupation more than to uphold the principals of their occupation....rediculous.

[excoachken]

If I were one of the lawyers, I might anonymously clue the police in. Perhaps, create a phony burglary that the police might get access to my case files. Legal or not, I would not sit by for 26 years and then say I was "sorry." One thing for sure, both these lawyers are sorry people!

[namesnames]

One other thing this guy is still in jail. Why?
Posted by antoniof123 at 04:07 PM : Mar 06, 2008

I think because anyone with a friend in prison could then falsely admit to a their crime and the guy in prison would be freed upon their death.

[sumarongi]

First let me state that I am not defending or condoning the actions of these two lawyers. There is no excuse for this type of miscarriage of justice, but I''d like further information. Was Mr. Logan involved in the armed robbery and was he also armed? If so he was not totally innocent and would have ended up in prison anyway. Even so, he might have received a lighter sentence, but he was still culpable in the murder of the guard. Armed robbery is armed robbery, no matter who pulled the trigger of their weapon, you are guilty of intent if nothing else. So before we jump let''s have the whole truth ourselves. Was Andrew Wilson caught and convicted of also committing the robbery? Did he serve time or was he allowed to walk out a free man? If he did a most heinous mistake occurred. You decided to step outside the law and don''t blame anyone but yourself.
If Mr. Logan was a participant and was armed then he is culpable in the death of the one person who was truly the innocent victim, the security guard.nHe was given a much harsher sentence than Mr. Logan or Mr.Wilson. He got the death penalty without the benefit of any doubt or appeal. Before you jump to righteous indignation mode get the bleeping facts and then run your mouths. Yes the lawyers were morally wrong, but they are correct in stating that the law in this country states that they were bound to silence. I don''t like it, but I understand it, which is more than all of you soapbox protestors.

[cyberus-2009]

Just goes to show that there needs to be a couple tweaks to the client privilege rules

[highlander60]

UNBELIEVABLE!!!

[questionnews]

Perry Mason is turning in his fictional grave.


What would Perry Mason have done???

[oleander8]

I can''t accept that there was no way they could have helped Mr Logan - like lawyers are this pure, ethical, upright profession. Logan was 28 years old when he went to prison - how much is the prime of you life worth? They could have tipped off someone...they just didn''t care.

[blazercoach1]

The question is....what penalty would the lawyers have paid for serving justice? I''m sure they would have been dis-barred at least.

Even then, I don''t know how they can sleep at night knowing they let a man go to prison for 26 years just so they have the lifestyle and occupation they wanted. These guys sound like the soldiers in A Few Good Men.

[tomanyt]

I don''t care what the circumstances where. Those lawyers should have come forward at the beginning. From this case, it pretty clear the legal system is not interested in the truth, they are only interested in convicting someone. What good is it going to do this man 26 years later. These two lawyers should have to spend 26 years behind bars themselves.

[usmcvn2]

What does Oprah think???

Where''s Al & Jessie???

[gkc99]

"These two lawyers should have to spend 26 years behind bars themselves. "--Posted by tomanyt


So if your doctor happened to discover from something you said that you are a child molestor, he or she should report it to the authorities immediately?

[usbrit-2009]

We have a word for people like these lawyers in England - ***!!!

[usbrit-2009]

That should be B&ST&RDS

[gkc99]

"We have a word for people like these lawyers in England - ***!!! "--Posted by USBrit


No problem! Just tell your solictor you waive privilege.

[ynot12007]

These lawyers were bound by lawyer client privaledge however, I wonder if they were not driven by not getting their legal fee for not disclosing what they knew. To recluse themselves from the case would have been the moral thing for them to do. they should be required to reimburse this man for the years he spent in prison and loss of earnings.

[generey]

Phukkin lawyers are scum. Then they grow up & become "judges". What a system. Mr. Logan is a better man than me; I would make it right before I left the state. (And then people are shocked when someone snaps).

[gkc99]

"To recluse themselves from the case would have been the moral thing for them to do. "--Posted by ynot12007

It sounds like they were defending the actual killer in another matter, and in passing learned of this killing. So recusal is completely irrelevant.

Blame must lie with the Illinois legal system, that flourished under the corrupt Jim Thompson and his crooked predecessors. Let the state of Illinois reimburse the guy.

[jchave2]

Folks,

You know why they left this poor man on jail to rot?

These rodents considered their career to be more important than Mr Alton Logan''s life. They figured: If we are known as two lawyers that break Attorney-Client Privilege, we will not be able to work in our communities as lawyers because we will not be trusted. Therefore they hung this innocent man out to dry.

The completely (as many lawyers do) lost sight of the reason they "should" have gone in to law...To uphold the Bill of Right / Justice and the US Constitution. Instead they went through their idiotic careers, vacationing with their families / raising their kids / teaching them "the right thing to do" (ha ha ha..this is a joke) / making millions; all while knowing they had put an innocent man in jail.

Guess what...now its time for reckoning. During the time that they want to wind down their lives, retire and enjoy their grandkids, these 2 losers will now be forced to face the truth, and hopefully will be ostracized and if GOD permits sued for everything they have fo having done this.

Best Regards,

Joel

[mrmazerati]

I guess my question is, if they had come forward earlier, would the evidence have been usable, given the rules? Logan gets a new trial now. Would he have gotten one earlier, even if the attorneys pressed for it?

[sumarongi]

Yo, let''s slow down.
Was Mr. Logan part of the robbery and was he armed?
If he was then he is not "innocent".
Did Mr. Wilson go to jail or was he set free?
If he went to jail then the lawyers crime isn''t as bad as if Mr. Logan was totally innocent.
If he committed armed robbery and the guard was killed he is just as guilty as the partner who pulled the trigger, it could have been him.
If they were both armed robbers the only "innocent" one here was the guard who was executed without recourse to the courts or to an appeal.
Get the whole story before you start yapping about an innocent man being convicted.

[ioweign]

And what does the ABA (The American Bar Association) say about it ? Their union.

I can not believe they couldn''t have presented this before some court or judge...

[sevenveils]

So attorney-client privileges over rule justice.
Isn''t that special.

[jchave2]

Hmm.. not sure MrMazerati,

Im not sure. Good question though. Im not a lawyer, but I am guessing that the case could have been resolved at least sometime during the 26 years...but again, not sure. Maybe someone else will know.

Joel

[sevenveils]

These attorney''s could have quit their client and gone before a judge and divulged enough information as to not break their "special bond" with their ex client and still offer enough proof this man was innocent.

Here is to hoping that this poor man sues these attorneys and the court system for violating his right to a fair and just trial.

[rudy654-2009]

I remember being at a conference where a prison psychologist was presenting. And he asked the question if there were innocent people in prison. Mostly everyone that there weren''t any, but he assured us that indeed there were. Unfortunately our jury system is a joke. When a prosecutor can merely suggest and use the most circumstancial of evidence to convict someone, and the goal is to win, no matter what the truth is, our whole justice system is a joke.

[jchave2]

Listen "Sumarongi", the only species here doing the YAPPING IS YOU!!!. Why dont you read the story by the 2 lawyers who left him to rot in jail, and you will see that they totally believe he should be exhonorated, and that the person that did this already had confessed, the person that did it is already dead. I love people like you who in the name of their knee jerk reactions, (based on whatever), you think it appropriate to dismiss this as an unfortunate circumstance that no one is to blame for. Lets see what you would think if it was you in the cell rotting away....you wouldnt be trying to give the benefit of the doubt to people that do not deserve it. Even if he was involved in the robbery, he did not deserve to left there for 26 years...your argument is idiotic...READ THE STORY MR!!!!

[dcoles111]

It is human nature to think wisely but act foolishly-Anatole France(1844-1924). They did worse.

[sumarongi]

They still never say whether he was involved in the robbery, only that he was convicted of the murder and they don''t tell you why they were defending Mr. Wilson. This leads me to believe there may be more to the story and you so blithely trust the media representation without question. Wake up and ask for all the facts

[smithoos]

As Shakespeare said,"The first thing we do, let''s kill all the lawyers." Henry VI, Pt. 2. IV:2
And you thought being an English major was a waste of time.

[usmcvn2]

As Shakespeare said,"The first thing we do, let''''s kill all the lawyers." Henry VI, Pt. 2. IV:2
And you thought being an English major was a waste of time.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by smithoos at 05:44 PM : Mar 06, 2008


Lets include the Shrinks too. Lawyers & Shrinks are
destroying america. (whats left of it)

[closethippy1]

If it happened to me I would hunt down these lawyers and strangled them with my own hands.

[toolmangler-2009]

Did this man commit a crime? was he punished for ''THAT'' crime? If he received the same sentence for the crime he committed as he would have when he was tried and convicted then he has no squawk except about the murder conviction. and all that should be is a letter to the courts stating that he killed no one.

[jowand]

If it happened to me I would hunt down these lawyers and strangled them with my own hands.
Posted by closethippy1 at 05:55 PM : Mar 06, 2008

Spoken like the true man of peace that you are.

[sumarongi]

Tool Mangler,

Glad to see there is someone else out there who believes in having all the facts. These people are just about as bad as the lawyers. Mr. Logan and Mr. Wilson may have been partners for all we know. Let''s wait until we see the story on tv and try to get the facts. The lawyers stated that they monitored the trial and would have stepped in if the death penalty was asked for. They never tell us that Mr. Logan had no involvement at all. Just that he didn''t commit the murder.