Procedural ‘Innocence’ Payouts Drain Cities

Chicago prosecutors reportedly urged courts to grant Certificates of Innocence based solely on policing irregularities, not on proof of factual innocence. Those certificates unlock multimillion‑dollar settlements, turning procedural error into a liability pipeline. This reframes 'innocence' and creates powerful financial incentives around case reversals. — It challenges how the justice system defines innocence and allocates risk, with large budget and governance implications for cities.