Mr. Harper is pleased to announce that he has succeeded in achieving the release from prison of an innocent man. In 1983, David Fauntleroy was arrested and charged with crimes he did not commit. In 1986, he was convicted and sentenced to life in prison. More than 25 years later, Mr. Harper learned about the case and agreed to represent him.
In 2008, Mr. Harper filed a post conviction petition which proved that the police had obtained all of their evidence against Mr. Fauntleroy by using physical torture and coercion. On January 8, 2009, the court granted the petition, vacated the conviction, and ordered that Mr. Fauntleroy receive a new trial. After further proceedings on January 9, 2009, the court dismissed all charges and ordered Mr. Fauntleroy's immediate release from prison. Two Chicago news services reported the event. The first lines from those articles appear reprinted below:
After serving 25 years of a life sentence in prison, David Fauntleroy was scheduled to be heading home Friday a free man....
Conviction out, man to walk free. Chicago Tribune, January 10, 2009, Chicagoland:12.
Another chapter in the alleged Jon Burge torture cases was closed Friday, when murder charges against a Chicago man who spent more than 25 years behind bars....
Charges against alleged Burge victim dismissed. Chicago Sun Times, January 11, 2009, Metro:13A.
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