The Housing Project Plagued by Police Corruption

Life Experiences and Justice System

  • Profoundly Un-American Concept of Arrest

    • The idea that one might be arrested for a crime they did not commit creates a feeling of pervasive injustice.

    • The risk of wrongful arrests, including police misconduct such as planting drugs on individuals.

  • Mass Exonerations

    • Last November, 15 men in Chicago were exonerated from crimes they didn't commit.

    • The county's top prosecutor agrees these men were wronged due to corrupt police investigations.

    • This event marked the first mass exoneration in Cook County history.

Key Characters in the Story

  • Ronald Watts

    • A former sergeant in the Chicago Police Department.

    • Tasked with combating drug trafficking in the Ida B. Wells Homes but instead operated a criminal enterprise.

    • Engaged in activities like shaking down drug dealers and residents for bribes.

    • Planted drugs (specifically heroin and cocaine) on residents, leading to wrongful arrests.

    • Described by arrested individuals as similar to the corrupt character in the movie Training Day:

    • Quoting, "I'm puttin' cases on all you bitches! Huh? You think you can do this shit? I'm the police! I run shit here! You just live here!"

  • Ida B. Wells Homes

    • Housing project on the south side of Chicago, established in 1941 as the first project specifically for African-Americans, serving as a symbol of hope through embracing aspirations of the time.

    • Over decades, the buildings fell into disrepair largely due to neglect by the Chicago Housing Authority.

    • Characterized by violence, open drug dealing, and extensive graffiti.

Ben and Clarissa Baker's Story

  • Couple Background

    • Met in 1990 during night school in South Chicago.

    • Ben grew up in the Ida B. Wells Homes; Clarissa from a middle-class family with a father who was a private detective.

    • They had three sons and lived together in the Ida B. Wells Homes.

  • Confrontation with Sergeant Watts

    • The downfall of their family began in 2004 when Watts asked Ben for bribes, which Ben refused.

    • In late 2005, during a police stop while driving into the Ida B. Wells, Watts and another officer demanded their car keys and initiated a search.

    • Clarissa claims to have witnessed Watts pull something out of his sleeve during this stop.

  • Legal Consequences

    • Ben Baker was tried and convicted despite testimony regarding corruption, resulting in a 14-year prison sentence.

    • Clarissa faced difficulties following this conviction, including becoming a single mother and the stigma of being a convicted felon, hampering her employment prospects and access to federal rental assistance like Section 8.

Exposure and Legal Actions Against Officer Watts

  • Watts' Arrest

    • In early 2012, Watts was caught on television while being pursued by authorities, leading to his arrest for theft of government funds.

    • After serving a 22-month sentence, he was still in the context of Ben Baker's case.

  • Broader Context of Criminal Justice Reform

    • In 2015, as Ben Baker's lawyer, Joshua Tepfer, worked on a petition for exoneration, there were public protests sparked by the murder of Laquan McDonald by a Chicago police officer.

    • Emotional reactions from the public influenced the conversation surrounding criminal justice.

  • New State's Attorney

    • Kim Foxx was elected as a new state's attorney and made the pivotal decision regarding the mass exoneration of wrongfully convicted individuals.

The Issue of Wrongful Convictions

  • Media Discussion

    • The discussion on wrongful convictions has transitioned to include mass exonerations.

    • Examples from other locations, such as Philadelphia and Massachusetts, where mass exonerations occurred due to misconduct or faulty lab work.

    • The case in Massachusetts saw 20,000 convictions being overturned based on a chemist faking lab results.

Reflections on Corruption and Responsibility

  • Length and Impact of Corruption

    • The extent of misconduct spanning time, the failure of numerous agencies (FBI and Internal Affairs) to intervene, illustrates systematic issues in law enforcement.

    • Clarissa's observation, "Everybody knew but nobody did anything," raises important questions about accountability.

  • Societal Reflection

    • This narrative challenges the audience to reconsider trust in legal systems and policing.

    • The overarching theme focuses on who to believe in the context of law enforcement and justice.