Bob Fioretti: Wrongful Convictions Should Be Overturned but Free of Politics
Bob Fioretti: Wrongful Convictions Should Be Overturned but Free of Politics (Cook County, IL) — Robert (Bob) W. Fioretti says the selection of Michelle Mbekeani to replace Nancy Adduci as the head of the rebranded Conviction Review Unit is another example of Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s refusal to do her job.
On Wednesday, Foxx named Michelle Mbekeani the new head of the Conviction Integrity Unit, which is now being rebranded as the Conviction Review Unit. Foxx launched the Conviction Integrity Unit shortly after taking office. Mbekeani has called the appointment the “culmination of my life’s work in criminal justice reform.”
“Justice should be blind, impartial and free of politics,” Fioretti said. “This is a mission-driven person now leading the Conviction Review Unit. No one wants to put innocent people in prison, but the best way to stop that from happening is to do a thorough job as a prosecutor. State’s Attorneys have tremendous discretion in the cases they prosecute. Instead of second-guessing prosecutions, we need to do the job right the first time.”
Fioretti said he supports efforts to prevent wrongful convictions, but we must also bring charges against those who have broken the law.
“Kim Foxx has turned the State’s Attorney office into another government-backed defense attorney agency,” Fioretti said. “She is actively working against the attorneys in her own office by placing an activist in charge of this review panel. There is no objectivity here. My message to the hard-working men and women in the Cook County State’s Attorney office who are working to protect our residents – help is on the way.”
Fioretti has a long history of fighting for justice in Cook County. He represented LaFonso Rollins, who was wrongfully convicted and later exonerated in 2004 from rape charges. He also represented the family of Baby Tamia in the interstate adoption case that led to changes in Illinois’ adoption laws.
“I have a proven track record of fighting for justice,” Fioretti said. “I will be the tough but fair prosecutor we need. The solution to preventing innocent people from going to jail is to do a thorough and effective job as the County’s prosecutor. The solution is to support, not undermine the mission, which is to protect the people of Cook County. The cycle must be broken, and the rule of law must be reestablished at all levels of our society. Enough is enough.”
Bob Fioretti: Wrongful Convictions Should Be Overturned but Free of Politics
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