Heidi Lambros (JD '96) represents Stanley Wrice, a man who gave a coerced, and false, confession that led to his conviction and a 100-year sentence for a crime he says he did not commit. In a major decision in Wrice's case, the Illinois Supreme Court decided that a physically coerced confession can never be considered "harmless error," and is thus grounds for relief.
A Chicago Tribune news story said this case had been "anticipated for months by the legal community." Lambros, who is an Assistant Defender at the Office of the State Appellate Defender, argued forcefully for her client, noting that the Court's decision is "critical to send a message that this type of egregious police misconduct will not be tolerated in Illinois.” Lambros was honored with a rare award from DePaul's Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP). Lambros' work is exactly the kind of work the LRAP seeks to promote and facilitate.
To donate to LRAP, please contact Shaye Loughlin, Executive Director of DePaul Center for Public Interest Law, at sloughli@depaul.edu.
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