Who I am...

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My name is James Degorski.  I'm currently wrongfully incarcerated at Illinois' Stateville Correctional Center after being wrongfully convicted of the multiple murders that took place at Brown's Chicken Restaurant in Palatine, Illinois, on January 8, 1993. I've been fighting to prove my innocence ever since my illegal arrest which occurred at 3:30 pm on May 16, 2002. After 19 years of slowly going in circles, I am finally taking my case to the World Wide Webb's Court of Public Opinion-you!  Now I can finally tell my side of the story.  This is the truth that my public defenders failed to tell the jury.  They had their own agenda to close this case.  So,  I need your help to spread the word about not only my wrongful conviction, but others as well who become imprisoned due to public officials who follow local political agendas in order to close cases quickly and/ or comply with orders for personal and professional gain.

I, James Degorski, being duly sworn under oath, attest that the following is true and accurate, and made upon my personal knowledge that I am competent to testify to the following: I've never claimed to be a saint, nor am I trying now to enter into sainthood. I'm bringing all of this to your attention to prove to you that I am not a murderer, and to warn you that if this can happen to me, it can happen to you, too!

See Cook County Case # 02-CR-15430

*Anne and Eileen's testimony already led to the conviction of Juan in 2007.  They should have been paid the $240.000 at the end of that trial.  Why did they withhold the money from them?  I believe it was a politiacal move to close the case by implicating me-a lnobody at the time.

*During my separate trial in 2009, my jurors should have been told that Eileen and Anne still hadn't received their $240,000 reward money.  Therefor, they still had that incentive to wrongfully lie on the stand and wrongfully convict me.

* There were 2 DNA samples found at the scene.  One belonged to Juan Luna and the other is of an unknown person.  So, not my DNA because I wasn't there.

* Anne wanted the reward money.  She used to lie to me, she used me to get things, prestige, and hated me for breaking it off with her.

* Eileen wanted an exchange deal to get out of her own drug charges.

* Eileen and I had debunked Juan's initial alibi that we were with him in 1995, but it wasn't brought out in trial as she had changed her story to get out of her own drug charges.  Why didn't my lawyer present this information?  I think he was part of the plan to close this case for the city of Palatine.  Plus, he had his sights on becoming a judge-which he eventually became one.

* I had no personal motive as I didn't need money.  I sold marijuana and worked full-time.  I had plenty of money.  I had no personal issues with the people who worked there, but Juan Luna did.  He had worked there, and always needed money.  He had motive.

*We all met at the Carpentersville Jewel.  I had dropped off Juan's car, Eileen had just gotten off of work, and Juan was dropped off by someone in a white car.  This major point was covered-up because it did not fit Eileen's new narrative.

* Eileen lied that she drove me home that night, and that we drove past the Brown's Chicken restaurant.  She lied as she did not drive me home that night after we had all partied-Juan did.  He would not have taken a longer route as he was under the influence and just wanted to get home as well.  No person under the influence of marijuana and alcohol takes a longer route to get somewhere.  He never said a word about what he had done either.  This was just a usual party night for the three of us.  Except Juan had done something illegal-he just never told us about at any point during that night.

*  Eileen claimed that I called her at 9:30 when she punched out of work at Jake's Pizza.  So, if I had made this call, it would have been during the Brown's murders which took place between 9:08 and 9:50.  What criminal makes a call from the crime scene?  Again, a crucial point that was kept silent.

* The extensive media coverage made it really difficult for my own story to be told.  The detectives didn't want to recant their claims as it would have looked bad for the department.  Even the public was hungry for an arrest of anyone.  How is this fair to the innocent?  So, the fake story just kept unfolding to my horror.  

If you are also angry about my situation, please speak up for the innocent and write to all of these people:

Governor J.B. Pritzker                                                            

Office of the Governor                                                                                         

207 State House                                                                                                                       

Springfield, IL 62706

1-217-782-6830                                                                                                    

Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton 

Office of the Governor

214 State House  

Springfield, IL 62706 

lygovstratton@illinois.gov

1-217-558-3068 

States Attorney Kim Foxx     

Cook County State's Attorney

69 W. Washington

Chicago, IL 60602

statesattorney@cookcountyil.gov

1-312-603-1880

If you would like to write to me, here is my contact information:

James Degorski, M09414

12078 Illinois Rt-185

Hillsboro, IL 62049

Click this link to send me an email: 

 jimdegorski@gmail.com                                                        

Thank you for your interest in my case.  The innocent behind bars deserve justice!