Michael was sentenced to death under a flawed
system:
Michael was convicted primarily on the eyewitness testimony of
others who were implicated in the crime. The most significant witness
at his sentence was a jailhouse snitch, who testified to Michael’s
gang activity in the Cook County Jail. That testimony was disputed by
a jail guard, who testified on Michael’s behalf that he had withdrawn
from all gang activity and had become a model prisoner. His confession,
obtained after hours of being questioned, was not recorded. Juror instructions
were unclear as to the requirement that all 12 had to agree on the sentence
of death in order for it to be imposed. Prior to the arrest for this
crime, Michael had no criminal record; thus, the state’s case in
aggravation was very weak.
©2002 Illinois Coalition Against The Death Penalty