CHICAGO (WLS) — After spending 23 years behind bars, Antonio Porter describes his newfound release as a mix of joy and lingering uncertainty.
On Tuesday, Porter was granted his freedom under electronic monitoring and returned home to reunite with his family. His previous conviction for murder has been temporarily overturned, pending a new trial.
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As he stepped out into the freezing Chicago air from Cook County jail, Porter was immediately embraced by a loved one, a brief moment of warmth before his attorney whisked him away. Despite being out of jail, Porter acknowledges his battle for complete freedom continues.
“It’s an incredible feeling, yet I’m not truly free,” Porter remarked, gesturing to the ankle monitor he must wear. “They still doubt my freedom, and it’s up to me to prove my innocence. My lawyer is here, and I need to go,” he added.
Having been incarcerated since 2003 for a fatal shooting during a dice game in 2002, the 50-year-old Porter has consistently asserted his innocence.
In 2023, Porter filed a motion seeking to overturn his murder conviction, citing issues with testimony from a Chicago police officer during his original trial.
A judge, last week, vacated Porter’s murder conviction and ordered a new trial, finding the officer’s history of alleged misconduct “undermines the confidence of the earlier verdict rendered in Mr. Porter’s original trial.”
In a statement to ABC7, the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office says it is “carefully evaluating the court’s ruling, along with the facts and circumstances of this case.”
Porter’s mother, Rosemary Cade, spoke after her son’s bond hearing on Monday.
“We have to keep fighting. They keep putting our loved ones in prison for something they did not even do, and that’s wrong!” she said.
In the meantime, Porter’s attorney says he believes prosecutors do not have the evidence to prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that his client committed the murder.
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