A Detroit man who spent over 17 years in prison for a murder he didn't commit was given the chance to go free - but only if he agreed not to sue the Wayne County prosecutors.
Gregory Berry's case is a stark example of how flawed convictions can be tainted by coercive interrogations and tactics that courts have found unconstitutional. In his original trial, Berry was found guilty almost entirely on the testimony of Antonio Hamilton, who later recanted his statement and passed a polygraph saying he had lied about Berry's involvement in the crime.
The Wayne County Prosecutor's Office initially claimed that prosecutors had made no such arrangement with Berry, but an internal memo from Maria Miller shows otherwise. According to court files obtained by Metro Times, prosecutors insisted on a plea deal that included waiving civil suit rights as a condition of release.
Berry says he was pressured into taking the plea deal due to his poor health and a looming Christmas holiday. He claims prosecutors withheld information about the coercive tactics used in the interrogation of his co-defendant, Antonio Hamilton, whose testimony was key to Berry's conviction.
The CIU, which investigates potential wrongful convictions, got involved in the case after Berry's co-defendant testified that he had lied about Berry's involvement. The unit concluded that "significant problems" had emerged in the case, and Berry's lawyer argues that prosecutors should have disclosed this information to him before he agreed to take the plea deal.
Despite his efforts to withdraw his plea, Berry remains convinced that prosecutors manipulated him into accepting a deal that would deny him justice. His case raises questions about how Wayne County prosecutors are handling convictions tainted by Simon, who has been accused of coercing statements in other cases.
Gregory Berry's case is a stark example of how flawed convictions can be tainted by coercive interrogations and tactics that courts have found unconstitutional. In his original trial, Berry was found guilty almost entirely on the testimony of Antonio Hamilton, who later recanted his statement and passed a polygraph saying he had lied about Berry's involvement in the crime.
The Wayne County Prosecutor's Office initially claimed that prosecutors had made no such arrangement with Berry, but an internal memo from Maria Miller shows otherwise. According to court files obtained by Metro Times, prosecutors insisted on a plea deal that included waiving civil suit rights as a condition of release.
Berry says he was pressured into taking the plea deal due to his poor health and a looming Christmas holiday. He claims prosecutors withheld information about the coercive tactics used in the interrogation of his co-defendant, Antonio Hamilton, whose testimony was key to Berry's conviction.
The CIU, which investigates potential wrongful convictions, got involved in the case after Berry's co-defendant testified that he had lied about Berry's involvement. The unit concluded that "significant problems" had emerged in the case, and Berry's lawyer argues that prosecutors should have disclosed this information to him before he agreed to take the plea deal.
Despite his efforts to withdraw his plea, Berry remains convinced that prosecutors manipulated him into accepting a deal that would deny him justice. His case raises questions about how Wayne County prosecutors are handling convictions tainted by Simon, who has been accused of coercing statements in other cases.
... Gregory Berry spent almost 2 decades in prison for something he didn't do and now he's being offered a chance to go free but he has to give up his right to sue the prosecutors? that's like, totally unfair 
... I mean, if they're gonna offer him a deal, shouldn't it be on the grounds of wrongful conviction rather than just taking away his civil suit rights? 
... and what's with this coercion thingy? shouldn't they have told him about all these issues before he agreed to plead guilty? 
... this whole thing just stinks like rotten fish 
... I'm so glad the CIU got involved, now we might actually see some justice served 
...
I cant believe they got away with it for 17 yrs!!! the fact that Greg had to agree not to sue just to get outta prison is wild . it's like they thought he was gonna sit there and be grateful or something . Newsflash: innocent ppl deserve justice & a fair trial 
It seems like we're always more concerned with getting cases closed quickly than with making sure everyone gets a fair shake.
. I mean, 17 years in prison for a crime he didn't commit? That's not justice, that's just plain wrong 
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. We need to make sure that we're holding our prosecutors accountable and making sure that these kinds of injustices don't happen again 
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. i mean, what does it even say when you're offered freedom but at the cost of your rights? is it really worth it? and what does that say about us as individuals when we're faced with choices like this? do we prioritize our own freedoms or do we weigh them against the greater good? its a tough one, man 
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. It's frustrating because you can't help but wonder if there are more cases out there like this one, where innocent people are caught in the crossfire 
Come on! 
, but I'm still worried about what happened during his interrogation process... Coercive tactics have no place in our justice system and it's sickening that prosecutors are only offering him a deal if he agrees not to sue them 
He's been sitting in prison for 17 years and now they're offering him a way out but only if he gives up his right to sue... that doesn't sound right to me 
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. I mean, come on, if you've done nothing wrong, why would you be afraid of a lawsuit? It's just not right that Gregory Berry had to agree to give up his right to sue in order to get out of prison after 17 years 
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who exactly is benefiting from this situation? It's all about saving face for the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office, not doing justice for Berry 
this is a wild case, bro... I mean, 17 years in prison for something you didn't even do? that's crazy. and now they're trying to strong-arm him into giving up his right to sue them? it's like they're trying to cover their tracks.