Why does it take so long to free an innocent person from prison?

Curious City

WBEZ Chicago

Society & Culture, Education, Public, Chicago, Arts, City, Radio, Curious, Investigation

4.8 • 642 Ratings

🗓️ 12 February 2025

⏱️ 8 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

We follow the case of Robert Johnson. Now, three decades after his arrest, a judge will decide whether to release him later this month.

Transcript

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0:23.5	Start or increase your monthly gift by $3 today at WBEZ.org slash donate.
0:31.4	It's Curious City, where we take your questions about Chicago and the region, and investigate.
0:37.4	Report.
0:38.1	Explore.
0:38.9	From WBEZ.
0:41.2	What's up, Chicago?
0:42.5	I'm Erin Allen.
0:44.1	This week, we're partnering with the Invisible Institute, a journalism nonprofit on the south side that focuses on holding public institutions accountable.
0:52.7	Our colleagues over there have been following
0:54.7	the case of Robert Johnson.
0:57.2	I love my cousin.
0:58.5	He was always silly, always made us laugh.
1:01.7	This is Jennifer Johnson, Robert's cousin.
1:04.2	She thinks of him as a sweet, good-hearted person.
1:10.7	So as ERISA Apentaku reports, Jennifer was shocked when her cousin was convicted of a murder he did not commit.
1:18.6	At just 16 years old, and was sentenced to 80 years.
1:24.6	He really is in prison for something he did not do, and it's heartbreaking.
	...

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