High court ruling grants Decatur man’s certificate of innocence

By Sarah Mansur Capitol News Illinois

Posted April 16, 2021 11:38 AM

SPRINGFIELD — A majority of the Illinois Supreme Court decided Thursday that the state law governing certificates of innocence only requires exonerated individuals to prove their innocence for the criminal offense with which they were initially charged.The court’s decision means that an exonerated person who seeks a certificate of innocence does not have to prove their innocence in “every conceivable theory of criminal liability for that offense.”The effect of their decision has the most immediate impact for Charles Palmer …

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