Congratulations to Mr. Pittman on his exoneration after 21 years of wrongful conviction. Marcellous Pittman was framed and wrongfully convicted of shooting a police officer in 2001. When his name surfaced as someone who lived in the area and news reported him as a suspect, Mr. Pittman did what most innocent teenagers with strong family support would do — he called his grandma, and had her take him to the police station so he could clear his name. Unfortunately, he encountered police detectives who, unbeknownst to him, had no intention of letting him walk out of that station or to freedom ever again. He was tortured into a confession – an unfortunately classic occurence in Chicago, our nation’s coerced confession capital. This led to a wrongful conviction and lengthy prison term.
Yesterday, however, after years of hearings, delays, and other circumstances, the state finally dismissed the case. Mr. Pittman has been exonerated and he can now move on with his life. The hearing was emotional and intense; Mr. Pittman had never been given the chance to tell a court what happened to him and how it impacted him. Having his day in court mattered. Congratulations Marcellous!
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