David Blue

On May 2, 2023, the Fifth District Illinois Appellate Court reversed the conviction of David Blue, set aside his six-year prison sentence, and ordered the case dismissed. The decision culminated a nearly two-year-long legal battle waged by the Bonjean Law Group, which had been brought into the case after Mr. Blue was convicted and sentenced.

Mr. Blue had been convicted in 2021 in Williamson County of predatory criminal sexual assault and aggravated criminal sexual abuse based solely on the testimony of his adopted daughter, N.B., who had a history of developmental and behavioral challenges. No physical evidence or corroborating testimony supported the allegations. Defense experts testified that N.B. was intellectually disabled, struggled with memory, and was vulnerable to suggestion and confabulation, particularly in the context of her parents’ contentious divorce. Despite this, the trial judge found her testimony “extremely credible” and convicted Mr. Blue.

After trial, the Bonjean Law Group filed post-conviction motions and ultimately appealed, arguing that N.B.’s testimony was unreliable and that the court improperly relied on inadmissible hearsay. The appellate court agreed, emphasizing that the State presented no corroborating evidence and that N.B.’s conflicting and inconsistent statements created reasonable doubt. As a result, the court vacated the conviction and ordered the case dismissed, bringing Mr. Blue’s ordeal to an end.