- CHICAGO (UPI) -- The Illinois attorney general's
office Wednesday considered an appeal of a federal appellate ruling overturning
the conviction of a schizophrenic who was sentenced to 30 years for a 50-cent
robbery.
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- The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Tuesday overturned
the sentence of Johnnie Brown, 43, citing a "tragic breakdown"
in the system. The court said Brown's illness never was fully explored
by his lawyers, mental health experts or the judge.
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- "Not only did Brown's public defender trial attorneys
drop the ball, so did the court-appointed mental health doctors and probation
officer, all of whom failed to conduct even a sufficient inquiry into his
family background and extensive medical history," the court said.
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- The 43-year-old Brown was convicted in 1991 of using
a knife to rob a man of 50 cents and a token for an adult bookstore. Brown
had claimed he confronted the man with the knife because he thought the
man was following him.
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- Brown was convicted in a 30-minute bench trial, represented
by a substitute lawyer from the public defender's office because his assigned
lawyer was ill. The substitute had no knowledge of Brown's illness.
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- The federal appellate court also lambasted the state
appeals court, which upheld Brown's conviction without taking into consideration
newly presented evidence of Brown's mental condition.
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- Assistant Attorney General David Iskowich said no decision
had been made on whether to appeal the decision, retry Brown or free him.
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- Copyright © 2002 United Press International. All
rights reserved.
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- Comment
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- From Frances (Canada
- 9-11-2
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- 30 years for a 50 cent robbery???? Has the American justice
system gone
- as insane as they figure this guy is, or what???? I mean
why 30 years
- for 50 cents when murderers and rapists and guys who
work for Enron and
- World Com who've ripped off billions only get 5 - 10
years?????
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