It Could Happen to Anyone: The Wrongful Conviction of Alan Beaman

On January 29, 2009, Alan Beaman, a client of the Center on Wrongful Convictions, was exonerated after spending almost 14 years in prison for a crime he did not commit.

Music by Kelly Beaman
Video by John Maki

[Hyperspazzman]

His mom was my math teacher in high school. Knew of his brother and I knew Alan from the theater. All I can say is awesome family. His mom was an awesome teacher and Alan was a caring fun person to talk to and get to know. I am glad he is out and free, but sucks that it took 13 yrs.

[Myopinionmattersthemost]

amazing how much empathy the majority population can have for a wrongfully convicted person, when that person looks like them.

[Nanomachineson]

The other scary part is the real killer got away...

[hamandjams]

Thirteen years is a long time to spend in jail, but I'm glad Alan is finally out living his life again. He's such a kind and funny man, it's hard to believe he's lost a fourth of his life to time spent in jail. It's unfortunate that the legal "system" is this way, but unfortunately, right now, it's all we've got.

[talitakoomi]

I am SO glad that Alan is free! I watched a drama about this case and it is abundantly clear that Alan was faced with that perfect storm nightmare wherein the detective did not investigate other, more likely suspects, the prosecutor was full of holier-than-thou zeal and tunnel vision, and the jury had not one analytical brain among them. It amazes me that the judgement did not get over-turned immediately! I hope Illinois has coughed up a nice fat settlement for Alan for their idiocy.

[GaryDakota]

Anyone who reads this should be shaken to the core by the fact that this could be you a situation like this. I myself was thrown into a situation and charged with something that I didnt do. The charged placed against me could have put me away for the rest of my life, but by the grace of God and after a week in jail the prosecution failed to put on a felony hearing and they released me on a 180-80 motion.

[Natedaschoolboy]

Damn man.. I just recently met this guy within the past couple months and Only recently heard of the case. That is horrible. He is a very nice guy

[Sabiancym]

I live near this family and hope they sued the crap out of the state. 50k per year in prison minimum.

[jimmyguard]

I am glad you had the chance to clear your name. I am very familiar with what happened to you except I was not as lucky as you were. My appeal was successful at the court of appeals but reversed by the supreme court of Utah. I was released 16 years later and am having to deal with all that comes with having a conviction under my name. I wished people understood how real this is. I met several people in prison who very likely are in fact innocent, some were on death row! I had a cell mate who was prematurely released because some guy serving time in Texas had confessed to the rape he had been convicted of. And DNA matched the other guy to the crime. That was 14 years into his incarceration. I kept in touch with him by letters. About a year later after there were no response to a letter I had sent him, I found his picture in the news paper (Salt Lake Tribune). He had hung himself on his Mom's front porch. Even after he was found to be completely innocent, people were still not giving him time of day. Being wrongly convicted is about the closest you'll ever be to being in hell.

[AndrewGBernhardt]

Northwestern's Center on Wrongful Convictions says the evidence that it takes to exonerate the wrongfully convicted has to be far greater than the evidence used to convict in the first place.  This shouldn't be too hard for circumstantial cases with total speculation and total hearsay as the sole "evidence" that is used to convict.  Totally circumstantial and speculative cases means there isn't and wasn't any evidence in the first place, which should be very alarming to the average person who knows nothing about these types of criminal cases and indictments.  Most people believe that there must be, must have been, or was evidence, the fact that there doesn't need to be any evidence is totally sick!  Is that ethical and professional?!  Why are circumstantial and speculative cases allowed??  Maybe that's part of the entire problem?!  Another issue with miscarriage of the law and of justice is "sovereign immunity" of the judges and prosecutors involved in the malicious prosecution and criminal contempt of circumstantial and speculative cases. Sovereign immunity has got to stop, rogue prosecutors who operate on malicious prosecution,  deception, and who mislead judges and juries need to be found criminally responsible for their egregious, heinous, and unconscionable actions!  It should not even be an indictment via grand jury,  malicious prosecution and criminal contempt of court needs to be indictments on information.  Also, why isn't there ANY (actual) checks & balances??  The whole criminal justice system is rotten to the core.  The corruption creates jobs (and job security) for jail and prison guards, stenographers, bailiffs, law enforcement, judges, prosecutors, and criminal lawyers, maybe even for construction crews of all the prisons, jails, and courthouses to process it all.  Disgusting!  It's a huge leach to society, it's a total dead weight loss to the people.  Revolting.  Standards of evidence needs to increase (speculation and circumstantial cases based on hearsay need to be disposed of!  We, as a society, should go to prison for what we HAVE done, not what we COULD HAVE done!).  Juries in some States do not even get the statutes, they deliberate with literally nothing.  Juries should get statutes;  This would make the testimony worthwhile in depositions and at trial, otherwise it's meaningless.  Crafting totally bogus, vague, and ambiguous jury instructions (the verdict directors) perpetrated by prosecutors (and judges) needs to be stopped at once also.  Basically, the total corruption and idiocy, incompetence, and illiteracy (or of them pretending to be like this, the malingering basically) of lawyers, judges, and prosecutors needs to stop, it's disgusting.  People's basic civil, human,  and constitutional rights are being violated too much!  You don't incarcerate the innocent because of stupidity!  Sometimes, these lawyers (the prosecutors, judges, and defense attorneys) literally they all act as though they can't understand or comprehend what the alleged victim is saying, the alleged victim can literally deny all the elements of the statute(s) of the offense(s), and a finding of guilt can still be made.  The whole system is rottenly sick to the core!  No one is rehabilitated in prison, it's a training center of theft, terror, herding, assault, and everything else imaginable!  What a disgrace all around.

[superwhuffo]

"Someone has to notice that the legal system is not working."

[ohwidow]

So sad, and yet, things happen like this yet today.
Our case is with the probate gang, and they don't have oversight, and my 93 yr old friend is being stalked for 9 months by them. Click thru to see videos.
For this young man, I feel so bad for you in all those years being held captive.
Glad your family stood by you, that is what is it about, family and friends, helping each other. God Bless

[brucejohnson]

We now have a former prosecutor who supported & protected wrongful convictions in the White House, Kamala Harris.
People often question why do prosecutors only want to win no matter what?
Because it looks good politically at promotion time.
These unethical abuses of power & position get rewarded with pay raises & promotions. In the case of Ms. Harris, all the way to V.P.

[sadatmousa]

I don't blame corrupt judges and attorneys.
I blame the ignorant citizen, because we don't read the law, believe and listen to corrupt judges and attorneys.
never trust attorney!!!!

[GaryDakota]

This was 8 years ago and I can safely sit back and conclude that I will never be indicted on the charges. I was lucky, but could have fallen victim to our corrupt legal system. The country must take notice that we have prosecutors out there that will put an innocent man or women away for life or to death just to advance there carriers. This type of a system should not be tolerated in the so called free world as we call it here in the United Sates.

[DiwataMan]

"It doesn't take a menacing monster..."

[billeybop]

The amount of money you have should not determine if you get justice but it does. The average person does not qualify for "good" representation. The ego's of the prosecution and court are another major factor, they can't be wrong! I have little respect for lawyers and the system because when I needed one the money was the first and only prerequisite. I'm sorry for the 15+ years you and your family had to endure this travesty. God Bless!

[daretolive]

PLEASE HELP MARVIN LOUIS GUY BEFORE ITS TOO LATE! CHECK THE INJUSTICE OF HIS CASE, IT COULD SAVE HIS LIFE!

[JusticeJamesDennis]

Amazing. So many thousands and thousands of innocent people in prison and on death row.

[inkey]

how the hell did was he found guilty with no witness, no dna evidence etc