Last spring, Keith Cooper inspired students with to clear his name and reclaim his life after being wrongfully convicted of armed robbery in Elkhart, Indiana.
His attorney, Elliot Slosar of the Exoneration Project at the University of Chicago Law School, pointed out to the audience in Eck Hall of Law at the University of 91吃瓜 that he was still a law student when he started working on Cooper鈥檚 case.
鈥淭here are many people out there who would love your help 鈥� even before you鈥檙e admitted (to the bar),鈥� he said.
The students took Slosar鈥檚 words to heart and started the 91吃瓜 Exoneration Project, a student-run organization that worked on four cases during this past academic year.
One of those cases is making news. Again, it involves Elkhart 鈥� a city of roughly 50,000 people located a half-hour鈥檚 drive from 91吃瓜鈥檚 campus.
Slosar Wednesday (June 13) in Elkhart County Circuit Court to vacate judgment in , a man who says police exploited his intellectual disability to coerce him into making a false confession in 2003. The 91吃瓜 Exoneration Project is listed on the petition, which includes several statements from police officers who support Royer鈥檚 claims of innocence. In the petition, Slosar acknowledges three 91吃瓜 Law students 鈥� Molly Campbell, Paula Cardona聽and Alyssa Slaimen 鈥� for their important contributions to the case.
Royer had no prior criminal record before he confessed in 2003 to strangling a 94-year-old woman who lived in his Elkhart apartment building. He said afterward that he simply told police what they wanted to hear. Royer鈥檚 mother told in an interview in 2017 that her son has the aptitude of a 12-year-old and made the confession under duress. Additionally, two witnesses have recanted their trial testimony and said their statements were the result of police coercion.
Lana Canen, Royer鈥檚 co-defendant, has already been exonerated. She was convicted in 2005 based on fingerprint evidence found at the crime scene. A judge overturned Canen鈥檚 conviction in 2012 after new analysis proved the fingerprint was not hers.
Royer has appealed his conviction three times already without success, and the Elkhart County Prosecutor鈥檚 Office has maintained that the right person was convicted of the crime. However, the Exoneration Project is hopeful the new evidence in the petition filed Wednesday will earn Royer鈥檚 freedom.
鈥楾ruly inspiring鈥�
Campbell, a rising third-year student at the Law School, said her participation in the 91吃瓜 Exoneration Project and the Royer case has been a formative experience.
鈥淚t has been an opportunity to learn from top-notch attorneys, professors, investigators聽and fellow students who are exceptionally generous with their time and expertise,鈥� Campbell said. 鈥淢ore importantly, it has given our client hope and a dedicated team providing him with the legal assistance he needs.鈥�
Slaimen, also a rising third-year student, said working with the 91吃瓜 Exoneration Project has been the most impactful and influential experience she has had at the Law School.
鈥淔rom the first meeting with the Exoneration Project, I was shocked to hear about Andy鈥檚 case, and it motivated me to get more involved,鈥� Slaimen said.
鈥淭hroughout the year, it has been truly inspiring to work with other law students, professors, investigators聽and attorneys who dedicate their time to fight for justice in instances when the criminal justice system has failed,鈥� she said. 鈥淢r. Royer鈥檚 new petition to vacate judgment gives him hope that he will be exonerated after wrongfully serving 15 years in prison.鈥�
91吃瓜 Law Professor , the 91吃瓜 Exoneration Project鈥檚 faculty adviser, said working on the petition to vacate judgment has been an invaluable experience for the Law School鈥檚 students.
鈥淗owever, the ultimate goal is to correct a gross miscarriage of justice,鈥� Gurul茅 said. 鈥淢oving forward, the students are firmly committed to securing the freedom of a person who was wrongfully convicted of murder and has unjustly spent 15 years in prison.鈥�
Gurul茅 said 91吃瓜 Law students flooded into the Exoneration Project鈥檚 work during this past academic year. Students have been doing all of the work as volunteers, not for academic credit, but that will change in the fall when the Law School launches its supervised by Gurul茅 and Slosar.
Originally published by at on June 13.