CAARPR DENOUNCES Judge Angela Petrone’s racist denial of Kevin Jackson’s motion to vacate
The Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression vehemently denounces the Chicago Judge Angela M. Petrone’s racist denial of Kevin Jackson’s unopposed Motion to Vacate on Monday, June 24th, despite clear evidence of his innocence and the State’s Attorney’s Office refusal to prosecute further.
In this case, the victim himself said that Jackson wasn’t the shooter and all four witnesses recanted at trial, sharing similar and detailed stories of being coerced by corrupt CPD Sgt. Brian P. Forberg. Forberg is a known corrupt cop with over a dozen wrongful convictions under his belt who retired in disgrace in 2023 as a result of our movement and the revelation that he had been married to Assistant State’s Attorney Kirsten Ann Olsen while working these cases, including Kevin Jackson’s. When faced with evidence that Forberg’s wife, ASA Olsen had reviewed Jackson’s case and found insufficient evidence to prove his claim of innocence - a clear mark of conspiracy with her husband, considering the overwhelming evidence - Judge Petrone shockingly declared that there was no conflict of interest between the lead investigator and the States Attorney’s Office. The entire reason this case is before Petrone is because the previously concealed conflict of interest was so egregious and had prejudiced Jackson so heavily, that the case had to be assigned to special prosecutors and a new judge. Her denial of the clear facts, and disregard for previous decisions without evidence render her a rogue judge and a threat to our communities. Further, she has an established pattern and practice of bias and misconduct, resulting in unjust decisions which are constantly being struck down by appellate courts, as this most recent decision certainly will be. Even in non-wrongful conviction cases she exhibits racist biases, such as when she sentenced Adolfo Davis to life without parole as a juvenile despite the US Supreme Court ruling in Alabama v. Miller that it is unconstitutional to sentence juveniles to life without parole.
Ultimately, she is attacking the Black community and its movement against police torture and wrongful convictions in Chicago which has freed hundreds of Black and brown men and women in the last few years, challenging the white supremacist agenda within the legal system upon which she has built her career, first as an Assistant State’s Attorney, and now as a judge. Monday’s decision was her response to the movement and its allies, including the current State’s Attorney Kim Foxx, who has vacated over 200 wrongful convictions to date. Last year she attacked our movement in the courthouse, saying “I won’t allow you to intimidate me,” simply because community members attended the trial, and on Monday she made the highly unusual decision to block the public from coming into the courtroom fifteen minutes after the court date began. Without any provocation, she called in twelve cops from the Sheriff’s office to preemptively surround Kevin Jackson’s peaceful family and supporters before reading her decision, proving nothing but her own racist aggression.
We will not allow Petrone to continue to attack our community with impunity. She is a public official who ultimately serves at our pleasure, and she has demonstrated that she is not only not up to the task, but is capable of doing incredible harm in that position. So, it is our duty to take that power away from her by making our demands clear to those who appointed her, namely the Circuit Judges and Chief Judge Timothy Evans. We will send a message to her that Chicago’s days of being the Wrongful Conviction capital of the US, thanks to people like her, are coming to an end, and an era of justice and accountability will be ushered in by our collective strength and determination.
Call or email the office of Chief Judge Evans and demand the removal of Judge Angela Petrone for abusing her power and assisting in the wrongful conviction and continued incarceration of innocent Chicagoans.
Office of Chief Judge Evans
Phone: (312) 603-6000
Email: ocj.chief@cookcountyil.gov