The longest-serving exonerated inmate in Illinois has filed a civil lawsuit against the Chicago Police Department, Cook County, three Cook County assistant state's attorneys, the state, and others.
Jimmy Soto was just 20 years old when he was sentenced to life behind bars for a crime that he adamantly maintained he did not commit. Soto, now 63, and his cousin David Ayala, now 61, were both convicted of a double murder in Little Village in Chicago in 1981. Soto would go on to spend 42 years behind bars before being cleared of the crimes he was charged with.
Attorneys for the cousins say the men were convicted without any physical evidence tying them to the crime. Neither man ever confessed to the murders either. The cousins’ legal teams say their clients were convicted solely based on coerced witness testimony. The lawsuit alleges that the police played a role in coercing a man to fabricate a story that would implicate the cousins as the murderers. Last December, the charges against Soto and his cousin were overturned after a judge ruled that the men did not receive adequate legal counsel during their trial.
The lawsuit explains, "Defendants built an entirely false case against Mr. Soto by fabricating false evidence and suppressing exculpatory evidence that Mr. Soto could have used to defend himself in the criminal trial against him. As a result, Mr. Soto was convicted of murder."
The lawsuit also states that immediately after the shooting, witnesses identified two other suspects, only one of whom was arrested, but the case against that man did not proceed.
The lawsuit goes on to detail that the star witness in the case was convinced by police to falsely claim that on the day of the double murder, a gang meeting took place at Ayala’s home where he ordered gang members to carry out the killing.
Soto has shared that his transition back into society after decades behind bars was difficult. He explains, "At times, I'll wake up in the middle of the night and I know I'm out. And it's like, I'm sweating and I'm crying. Why am I crying? I should be so happy; joyful I'm out, but I just feel like I don't belong here."
During his time behind bars, Soto obtained his bachelor's degree from Northwestern University's prison education program. He is working to obtain his law degree and is currently employed as a paralegal.
His lawsuit is seeking over $200 million in damages. During a press conference announcing the lawsuit, Soto shared, “What really is the measure of justice for someone who spent 42 years in prison? The conditions…were horrendous. The physical toll that it took on me. I don’t know if we can actually put a metric to that.”
