Downers Grove lawyer takes up 'Making a Murderer' case

A Downers Grove attorney is taking up the legal defense of the subject of the popular “Making a Murderer” television series.

The law firm of Kathleen Zellner has released a statement noting it was “assuming the full and complete representation of Steven Avery in all of his pending criminal matters.”

The series, released by Netflix in December, details Avery's arrest and conviction for murder in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, after he was exonerated on a wrongful rape conviction, portraying the events that unfold as a second miscarriage of justice. As Avery was seeking $36 million from Manitowoc County in damages for that wrongful conviction, he was accused of the October 2005 murder of a young photographer for Auto Trader Magazine who had visited his property to take pictures of a car in his family's salvage yard.

Avery received a mandatory life sentence for the crime.

His nephew, Brendan Dassey, was also sentenced to life in prison for being party to first-degree intentional homicide, mutilation of a corpse and second-degree sexual assault.

Avery and supporters claim he was framed by local authorities as he was pursuing damages for his wrongful conviction, for which he served 18 years in prison.

Since Netflix released the 10-part series, more than 275,000 viewers have signed a petition asking President Obama to overturn Avery's conviction.

But prosecutors in the case have accused makers of the program of withholding important evidence and portraying the story in an unfair light.

Zeller's office says her firm will be assisted by Wisconsin attorney Tricia Bushnell.

“The Zellner law firm is looking forward to adding Mr. Avery to its long list of wrongful conviction exonerations,” the statemeant released Friday reads. Her office says she has “righted more wrongful convictions than any private attorney in America.”