Through the advancements made throught DNA technology, another condemned inmate has been proven to be innocent. Leroy Orange, once convicted and condemned to die by lethal injection for a murder he did not commit. had his sentence thrown out and was granted a full pardon by fromer Chicago governor George Ryan. Despite the breakthrough in the Leroy Orange case, many news outlets as well as prominent celebrities have observed an unhealthy ratio of African American men and women being housed in prison for longer periods of time in this country’s prisons.
Officials from the Cook County Board of Pardons and Paroles have agreed to award an extra $525,000 in addition to a $5.5 million dollar settlement awarded to a Chicago man wrongfully convicted for murder. Under terms of the settlement both parties agreed that the monetary award will be paid on a recurring annual cycle for five years. Leroy Orange, before being fully exonerated served a total of 19 years in prison before a special interest group took on his case and uncovered evidence of police misconduct.
Leroy Orange has always maintained that Jon Burge, (formerly a high ranking officer within the ranks of the Chicago Police Dpt.) employed torture to tactics to coerce a false confession from Orange. Upon discovery of this and other sobering claims of official misconduct, then Gov. George Ryan granted Leroy Orange a full pardon.
In addition to the terms agreed upon in the settlemt, both parties have agreed that the city nor county will be blamed for any wrongdoing.
