Chicago, IL – Jacques Rivera has been released after 21 years in prison, after being exonerated for a murder he did not commit. On Oct. 4 he spoke to the press waiting outside the jail. Surrounded by his family, lawyers and members of the activist group Comite Exigimos Justicia (CEJ) which worked tirelessly for justice in this case he said, “The city of Chicago needs to know the truth and that is that I did not kill Felix Valentin.”

Rivera’s case was particularly shocking because the prosecution’s 1988 case hinged solely on a 12-year old eyewitness. The issue of the obvious unreliability of eyewitness identifications in a police lineup – especially by children – was reported on widely in the Chicago coverage of this case. But what Jacques Rivera means when he says that “it didn’t have to go like that” is the fact that his case was handled by Detective Reynaldo Guevara of the Gang Crimes Unit of Area 5.

Fight Back! has reported for years on the rampant corruption in Chicago’s police department, especially in the Puerto Rican neighborhood of Area 5. A community campaign for justice developed in the late 1990s with over 40 wrongful conviction murder cases. These cases stemmed from a group of crooked cops, often with Detective Reynaldo Guevara at the head of the team. This was the same gang crimes unit where Detective Joseph Miedzianowski got sentenced to life in jail for running such a large and open drug organization that the Chicago Tribune titled him “Chicago’s most corrupt cop.”

The Comite Exigimos Justicia members demanded that all cases that these officers signed off on be made public and re-investigated when indicated. For example, the eyewitness in Rivera’s case said that one week after the mistaken line up he had tried to tell the detectives the truth but they ignored him.

Jacques Rivera, 46 years old, is now home with his family trying to adjust to a very different Chicago than in 1988 when he was last out. He seems still in disbelief that the 80-year sentence for a crime he did not commit is finally behind him. His children have grown up almost their entire lives seeing their father in 2 hour prison visits. This past weekend he sat on the brick bungalow front stoop looking at the scrapbook with flyers and photos of CEJ events held over the years. He recognizes the names of some of the other Area 5 frame up cases, like Mario Flores, freed from death row a few years ago; Angel Rodriguez, freed in 2004 in what had originally been a 70-year sentence and Juan Johnson, freed in 2010. Johnson received the largest settlement in the history of Chicago: $21 million. In addition, the Johnson case was able to force Detective Guevara to testify in court and pay penalties.

Members of CEJ often spoke about Area 5 detectives pinning false charges on opposing gang members in order to protect their own contacts in the streets or to appear to have quickly closed a case. Rivera’s mother Gwen Rivera was an active member of CEJ and believed all along that her son was innocent and had been framed. This Humboldt Park committee of mostly Puerto Rican and Mexican women protested regularly at Area 5 station, city hall, the state attorney’s office, the Justice Department and monthly Chicago Police Board meetings fighting to free their loved ones.

These CEJ women were some of the strongest voices to raise the issues of the CPD’s racist attacks in the Latino Northwest side neighborhood and link it to the CPD’s policies that were terrorizing and falsely jailing people in the West and South Side Black community. That activism and research connecting the common patterns in the frame ups led to Northwestern Law School Center for Wrongful Convictions to take up Rivera’s case.

These kinds of victories open the way for other Guevara frame-up cases like Nelson Gonzalez, Johnny Flores, Armando Serrano and Roberto Almadovar. These men are still locked up while they and their families suffer. Charlie and Esther Hernandez stood outside the jail gate to welcome Rivera. They held a photo of their son in prison. They said, “This hurts everyone because the community continues to pay to jail the innocent.”

Jacques Rivera mentions his upcoming civil suit and plans he has to help others. He says he would be very happy to attend this year’s People’s Thanksgiving dinner and Fight Back! newspaper award event in Chicago on Dec. 3. At this event, guests write personal notes in holiday cards to send to political prisoners and the wrongfully convicted. He looks forward to getting to meet more of the people of CEJ, who he now calls part of his “dream team” as well as learn about other justice issues. Although this is only the 19th year of the Thanksgiving event, Rivera’s freedom is an inspiring victory over 21 years in the making.

#ChicagoIL #RacismInTheCriminalJusticeSystem #JuanJohnson #Area5 #JacquesRivera #MarioFlores #AngelRodriguez #DetectiveReynaldoGuevara #GangCrimesUnit

Chicago, IL – Juan y Henry Johnson han pasado casi toda su vida de adultos en prisión y también luchando contra las acusaciones de un asesinato que no cometieron.

El 23 de febrero del 2004 un jurado declaró a Juan Johnson inocente. Ahora ambos Juan y Henry Johnson están libres.

Blanca González del Comité Exigimos Justicia (CEJ), organización de familiares de los prisioneros injustamente condenados y del ex-prisionero en lista para ser ejecutado en la silla eléctrica Aaron Patterson. El CEJ, se manifestó afuera de la corte mientras se llevaba a cabo el nuevo juicio a Juan Johnson. Blanca González, dijo: “Algunos de los jurados vieron nuestras pancartas y escucharon a Aaron gritar que el juez debería aconsejar a los jurados a no dejarse influenciar por nuestras opiniones.”

Otra Trampa en Humbolt Park

Hace catorce años un hombre fue muerto en el vecindario de Humbolt Park en Chicago. Esto ocurrió durante una fiesta en uno de los apartamentos de un edificio, los residentes del edificio dijeron que no habían visto a gente afro-americana peleando. Sin embargo, la policía nunca solicito la opinión de los residentes del edificio. Por el contrario, la policía señaló a dos afro-americanos, los hermanos Johnson del asesinato.

Los Johnson fueron a la cárcel debido a que un corrupto detective del departamento de la policía de Chicago, Ray Guevara, de la Unidad Contra los Crímenes de las Pandillas del Área 5. El detective en mención no presentó evidencia física – sólo testigos coaccionados por él. Algunos de estos testigos del primer juicio, luego se arrepintieron. Ahora, han dicho que el detective Guevara, le tomo fotos instantáneas con una cámara Polaroid a los hermanos Johnson y luego se las mostró a los testigos en la Estación de Policía, allí les dijo a los testigos que los Jonson eran los asesinos.

Uno de los primeros testigos confesó que el detective Guevara lo había amenazado, diciéndole que acusará a los hermanos Johnson o de lo contrario sería acusado él del asesinato. No es ninguna sorpresa que después del arrepentimiento, la policía lo ha culpado del asesinato y ahora paga una larga condena por un crimen que este testigo no cometió.

Por otro lado, el detective Guevara mintió bajo juramento, declarando que él nunca mostró las fotos de la cámara Polaroid a los dos testigos. Esta declaración puede probar la manera tramposa utilizada por el detective Guevara. Además, ayudar a otras víctimas encarceladas injustamente para mostrar su inocencia.

El Comité Exigimos Justicia ha documentado 50 casos en donde el detective Guevara de la Unidad Contra el Crimen de Pandillas, usó métodos como los descrito para inculpar a inocentes. Cuando las muertes ocurren en el vecindario de Humbolt Park, la racista CPD quiere hacer arrestos inmediatos para aparentar que están efectivamente haciendo su trabajo.

Los acusados falsamente y los condenados equivocadamente a prisión en su mayoría son puertorriqueños, ya que Humbolt Park fue un vecindario habitado por esta comunidad cuando Guevara y su pandilla comenzaron estos ataques. Los mejicanos y otros latinoamericanos, los afro-americanos también se han mudado de este vecindario, todos ellos fueron víctimas. Allí hay algunos blancos pobres quienes han sido condenados injustamente. La creciente lista de hombres señalados por esta criminal pandilla muestra que las comunidades de minorías oprimidas son victimas del racismo.

Atreverse a luchar es atreverse a triunfar

Juan Johnson le dijo a un entusiasta grupo durante una reunión del CEJ: “Dos de los jurados dijeron que el haber visto a la gente afuera luchando por el acusado y eso les creo dudas sobre la policía.” Además, dijo: “Guevara se mostró arrogante y nada creíble.”

Por otra parte, Ruth Peña, líder del CEJ, dijo: “Todos los policías quieren cerrar este caso.” y prosiguió “Y quieren expulsar del vecindario a la gente que no les gusta, primero fueron los puertorriqueños, quienes primero vivieron aquí en esta comunidad, luego otros latinos, afro-americanos y blancos pobres. La policía trabaja junto con los urbanizadores (Developers) y al mismo tiempo gentrifican nuestras comunidades.” Finalmente, Juan Johnson le dijo al CEJ que después de su juicio que el estará agradecido por el resto de toda su vida . El CEJ continuará su campaña para terminar las trampas en el Área 5, y luchara por la justicia.

#ChicagoIL #News #OppressedNationalities #RacismInTheCriminalJusticeSystem #JuanJohnson

Chicago, IL – Juan and Henry Johnson spent almost their entire adult lives in prison, fighting charges for a murder they didn’t commit.

On Feb. 23, a jury declared Juan Johnson innocent. Now both are free.

Blanca Gonzalez of the Comité Exigimos Justicia, along with representatives of the organization Families of the Wrongfully Convicted and former death row prisoner Aaron Patterson, rallied outside the courtroom while Juan Johnson’s new trial was taking place. “So many jurors saw our sign outside and heard Aaron chanting that the judge had to advise the jurors not to let it affect their opinions!” said Gonzalez.

Another Frame-Up in Humboldt Park

Fourteen years ago, a man died in a fight that broke out at a party in Chicago’s Humboldt Park neighborhood. Residents of the apartment building who witnessed the whole party said that there were no Black people fighting. But the police never canvassed the building for witnesses. Instead, the police fingered two Black men, the Johnson brothers.

The Johnsons went to jail because of a crooked cop, Detective Ray Guevara. This is another case from the Gang Crimes Unit of Area 5 of the Chicago Police Department where there was no physical evidence – only witnesses who were coerced by Guevara. Several of those who had testified against the Johnsons in the first trial later recanted. They now state that Guevara had Polaroids of the Johnson brothers. Guevara brought these witnesses to the police station, showed them the photos and told them that the Johnsons were the killers.

One of the original witnesses confessed that Det. Guevara had threatened him: either accuse the two brothers or be blamed for the murder yourself. It should come as no surprise that after he recanted, they charged him, and now that man is serving a lengthy sentence for a crime he did not commit.

Detective Guevara lied on the witness stand, stating that he never showed Polaroids to the witnesses. This news can be used to prove his frame-up ways and help his other victims.

The Comité Exigimos Justicia (CEJ) has documented 50 cases where Guevara and the Area 5 Gang Crimes Unit used methods just like these to assign blame. When murders happen in Humboldt Park, the racist Chicago Police Department wants to make arrests quickly, for the appearance of doing their job.

The falsely accused and wrongfully imprisoned have been mostly Puerto Rican, as Humboldt Park was the Puerto Rican neighborhood when Detective Guevara and his gang started their attacks. As Mexicanos, other Latinos and African Americans moved into the neighborhood, they became the victims. While there are some poor whites among the wrongfully convicted, the growing list of men targeted by these criminal cops shows that the oppressed nationality communities are victimized by racism.

Dare to Struggle, Dare to Win

Juan Johnson told a joyful crowd at a Comité Exigimos Justicia meeting, “Two women jurors said that seeing people outside fighting for me made them doubt the police.” In addition, he said, “Guevara came off as arrogant and not credible.”

Ruth Peña of CEJ said, “All these cops want to do is close the case and clean out the neighborhood, taking out the people they don’t like, first the original community of Puerto Ricans, and then other Latinos and Blacks and poor whites. They work together with developers that are, at the same time, gentrifying our communities.”

Juan Johnson told the Comité after his trial that he will be thankful to all who helped for the rest of his life. CEJ will continue their campaign to end frame-ups in Area 5, speaking out and fighting for justice.

#ChicagoIL #OppressedNationalities #ChicanoLatino #RacismInTheCriminalJusticeSystem #JuanJohnson