CHICAGO ( WGN ) — Jimmy Soto was just 20 years old in 1981 when he and his cousin, David Ayala, were convicted of a double murder in Little Village.
On Tuesday, he filed a lawsuit against the city of Chicago, dozens of former CPD officers, Cook County, and three assistant district attorneys working for the state’s attorney office at the time of his conviction.
Under coerced testimony, both were convicted, with Soto nabbed as the shooter and Ayala, a gang leader who allegedly ordered the hits.
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In December, a judge vacated their convictions, clearing the men of wrongdoing. Soto is now 63. While in prison, he earned a bachelor’s degree and plans to attend law school.
The suit claims the police and prosecutors “…agreed among themselves and with other individuals to act in concert in order to deprive Mr. Soto of his constitutional rights, including his rights to due process and a fair trial.”