Supreme Court to consider wrongfully convicted man's lawsuit

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - The Illinois Supreme Court has reversed itself, saying it will consider a lawsuit filed against a town and three former police officers by a man wrongfully convicted in a 1993 murder case.

Alan Beaman's lawsuit was dismissed by a lower court last year. That ruling was upheld by an appellate court and later the Supreme Court. But the high court reversed its decision on Thursday and granted a petition to consider arguments in the case, The (Bloomington) Pantagraph reported .

Beaman served more than 12 years in prison for the 1993 death of his ex-girlfriend, Jennifer Lockmiller, who was a student at Illinois State University. The Illinois Supreme Court overturned his conviction in 2008, saying evidence against Beaman was less than convincing.

Beaman later filed a lawsuit seeking damages against the town of Normal and former officers he alleges conspired to frame him.

Thomas DiCianni, a lawyer for the town and the former officers, said his clients were puzzled by the Supreme Court's decision.

"But we're confident the Supreme Court is not going to see this any differently" than the courts that have previously rejected the lawsuit, DiCianni said.

David Shapiro, one of Beaman's lawyers, said he was pleased the court has agreed to hear a lawsuit about "a travesty of justice that robbed Alan Beaman of his liberty and youth."

"Alan's heroic fight will now continue in the highest court of this state," Shapiro said.

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Information from: The Pantagraph, http://www.pantagraph.com