The Chicago Headline Club remains firm in its belief the subpoenas issued by Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez should be dropped. CHC said the students are covered by journalist shield law and should not have to surrender notes or other information they gathered as they investigated the case and deduced McKinney is innocent.
Cook County Circuit Court Judge Diane Cannon on March 10 agreed to McKinney’s lawyer’s request to trim the witness list. McKinney’s lawyer said she has two witnesses who exonerate McKinney, who has been imprisoned for more than 30 years for a murder he insists he did not commit.
Cannon continued the case to April 22 to give lawyers time to be certain McKinney understands the latest step in the move toward a second trial. Medill Professor David Protess, director of the Innocence Project, said he believes Cannon’s decision on the witnesses should lead to her to quash the Medill subpoenas.
Protess also said the 11-month subpoena fight has have been a waste of resources money. “This is an extreme misuse of taxpayer dollars,” he said.
For more information, contact Susan S. Stevens, CHC FOI vice president, susanstevens@aol.com or 312-733-1936.