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.

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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?

[misslili2009]

if you all was in the legal business you would understand why the lawyers kept this a secret for so long. its not their fault its the priciple of the lawyer cliet privilage. they did what they was supose to do. they had to get permission from their client to release the information. even t hough it is wrong to know that the person is gnt guilty but its not up to the laawyers to decide what happens

[DianeGirl]

I think everyone is being very unfair to the lawyers. Yes, what happened to Alton Logon was terrible, but the lawyers did what they could. If they had violated their client's confidence, the information would have been inadmissable in court and so wouldn't have done Logon any good at all. They would have tanked their careers to salve their guilt without helping the man at all.
Obviously, Logan didn't get much of a trial to begin with and someone needs to take a look at the three so-called eyewitnesses that said he was the guilty one. Blaming the lawyers is just looking for a scape-goat.
Just a thought.

[ivehadit9]

Now, the least they can do is to delete Alton Logan's name from the prison records so that Mr. Logan can start life anew.

[elanshutz]

A law is needed to allow lawyers to go to the judge with "privileged" info in these rare cases. The law also needs to allow the judge to free innocent prisoners and announce that no further prosecution will be allowed because it would violate the attorney-client privilege. E. Anshutz, Tampa

[buscari]

Since our system is not based on truth, but the ability of one attorney to be trickier/smarter than the other, we will continue to get results *** the above.

Some attorneys recuse themselves, if they have a moral conflict with their client. (These guys say they did NOT have a moral conflict.) I am glib they will have the money and ''friends'' to get them off, should they be in the same position some day.

OVERVIEW: Because our system is unjust, crime and injustice have sky-rocketed in our country. Our system was created to rid us of justice for the rich and punishment for the poor. But the checks and balances are not there. It is well-known that someone who commits a crime, will continue escalating until held responsible, humbled and re-educated (if they are rehabilitatable). If they are not, then they deserve to be monitored and/or imprisoned for the rest of their lives. Allowing them to not be held responsible (or to buy out by bargaining)

Freedom is an earned/given right...because...a person is reared/educated into a socially responsible human being, not simply because he was born.

[specialkny]

This story should be told to all children so they can understand how corrupt and unreliable our justice system is. I hope 60 Minutes takes a look at the corruption within the Military Justice System also. There have been many similar cases that have happened to our troops. These two attorneys should be held liable for this man''s 26 year incarceration and forced to pay reasonable restituition to him and his family. They should also be lose their licens to practice along with the DA and Judge. Had it been one of their children they would understand.

[jim727]

One simple question

If it had been a member of these lawyers OWN families, anyone really think they would have kept silent?

If your answer is ''No'', then everything these lawyers say is 100% self serving BS

[madandev]

I agree with all the comments here. I watched the 60 Minutes, and was very much disgusted just by seeing the faces of those two *** lawyers.

Laws and rules are made to protect people, PEOPLE ARE NOT MADE TO PROTECT LAW. If these *** with all their education, social previlege and intellect could not protect the right of an innocent, they are worthless human being ( Sorry, they should not be called human). They certainly are one of those people who would have overjoyed Christ crucifaction, killing of innocent jews by Hitler''s, and torture of innocent human beings in Iraq, China, Sudan, and many, many other places, by terrorists and dictators. Put these idiots on trial and see what kind of defense they would produce.
The people with privilege have different norm, and use different color of glasses to see world through. And, there are some others, not so privileged but blessed with golden heart, and purely empathized to feel others suffering and pain as their own, and gladly sacrifice themslves for the sake of others. If you made even person to smile, and if you made one person to live with dignity for a day, in my vernacular, you have certainly lived your life with grace. These two scums of our time should not be given a platform to justify their inhumane behavior.

[jem888]

Jamie Kunz and Dale Coventy are disgusting. There is a special place in hell reserved for these two along with Adolf Hitler.

[twins4haygoo]

I agree the attorneys SHOULD HAVE found a way to make this information known. The scary thing is Mr. Logan was convicted of a crime HE DID NOT COMMIT. How do you find guilt of an "crime" when in FACT HE DID NOT COMMIT IT? How does evidence point to guilt if TRUE EVIDENCE DOESN''T EXIST. My point is this, Mr. Logan WAS found guilty and somehow the jurors "believed this beyond a shadow of DOUBT?"