Chicago Tribune

Dahleen Glanton: Five Chicago teenagers are charged with a murder police know they did not commit. In Illinois, it's legal

Two tragedies happened in suburban Chicago the other day. A 14-year-old boy was shot and killed for allegedly trying to steal a car from a driveway and the five teenagers who were with him were charged with a murder they did not commit.

That's because of an obscure Illinois law that allows authorities to charge people with murder if someone dies during the commission of a serious crime, whether they personally inflicted the injury or not. In this case, the crime was burglary.

This provision, known as the felony

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from Chicago Tribune

Chicago Tribune3 min read
Commentary: To Defend Academic Freedom, Keep Politics Out Of It
April 17 was a dark day for academic freedom in the United States. Columbia University President Nemat Shafik told a congressional hearing that some statements heard during recent protests — such as “from the river to the sea” — might be punished by
Chicago Tribune2 min readCrime & Violence
Murder Charges Approved In Fatal Shooting Of Chicago Officer Luis Huesca
CHICAGO — A first-degree murder charge was approved by Cook County prosecutors Thursday in the fatal April shooting of off-duty Chicago police officer Luis Huesca. Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s office said in a statement Thursday that 22-ye
Chicago Tribune3 min read
‘Hacks’ Review: Jean Smart’s Deborah Vance Sets Her Sights On A Late-night TV Gig In Season 3
There’s real tenderness in a show like “Hacks.” Real cruelty, too, and that’s separate from its insult comedy sensibility. Back for its third and strongest season on Max, the Joan Rivers-esque showbiz veteran Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) and her semi-o

Related Books & Audiobooks