New Legal News

In a  court ruling lauded by defense advocates as evidence that an unusual strange law is effective, an Illinois judge has created a pretrial ruling that a woman’s videotaped murder confession cannot  be used against her on account of police ignored her demands for an attorney.

Judge John Scotillo, who presides in Cook County, enforced the ruling Monday in the case of Diana Thames, 49, a  who is charged with murdering a friend and business partner at the victim’s suburban Chicago residence.

Authorities videotaped Thames’ confession, as required by a state law that went into effect July 1, 2005 and applies to capital cases. It was created because of many wrongful convictions, some in death penalty cases. Watching the video, it was apparent that officers had ignored Thames’ requests for a attorney—a “mind-boggling” violation of a elementary rule.

Police and prosecutors refused to make any statement, but the defendant’s lawyer, stated the ruling is unique.

This is in my opinion a great lesson for police departments.