Daniel Ochoa- All charges dismissed after being wrongfully incarcerated for 17 years for a murder he did not commit

Daniel Ochoa spent 17 years incarcerated for a murder he did not commit. In 2002, Chicago police officer’s conspired to frame him for murder regardless of his innocence. There were no eyewitnesses, no plausible motive, and no physical evidence in the case. Determined to frame Mr. Ochoa, the police fabricated a confession they attributed to Mr. Ochoa that was written in English- a language Mr. Ochoa could neither speak nor read.

Over the course of almost two decades, Mr. Ochoa continuously fought to prove his innocence. He faced three trials, as the Illinois Appellate Court reversed his conviction twice. Finally, due to the dilligent work of the Bonjean Law Firm, a Circuit Court of Cook County judge suppressed Mr. Ochoa’s false concession finding that the State did not adequately provide that it was voluntarily provided. This meant that the Bonjean Law Firm was able to secure Mr. Ochoa’s release without having to go to trial and on October 23, 2019, the Cook County State’s attorney dismissed all charges again Mr. Ochoa. Mr. Ochoa was released that same day, after wrongfully serving 17 years of a life sentence for a crime he did not commit.