Conviction Of Innocence
Conviction of Innocence Chet Pleban Dishes on Ellisville Impeachment Proceedings
Take a sneak peak inside
On a chilly and rainy spring night, a white police officer finds himself on a roof top searching for burglary suspects.
After locating two young black males, something went terribly wrong. Instead of going to jail, one of the suspects went to the hospital with an unexplained massive skull fracture and ultimately died.
An elected prosecutor with aspirations of a judicial appointment had a problem. A white police sergeant was recently acquitted of feloniously assaulting a young black man in his own home, rekindling the hostilities between law enforcement and the black community. Mindful of the need for political support, the prosecutor filed a murder charge before the autopsy of the brain, a critical piece of evidence, was completed. What followed was a contentious trial, a media feeding frenzy replete with conflicting opinions of medical and other experts as to the cause of death and the guilt or innocence of the defendant.
Inspired by actual events
Whether considered inspired by or based upon a true story, this book is a work of fiction.
While real life events generally serve as the foundation for works of fiction, the names, characters, events and incidents in this book are the product of this writer's fertile, fictional imagination and are used fictionally.
During my 40 years as a trial attorney, I have been involved in many interesting cases that have attracted a great deal of public attention. The general story line of this work is one such example.
Yes, there was a white St. Louis police officer who was charged with murdering a young black man suspected of burglarizing a pawn shop. While attempting to arrest the suspect on the roof of that pawn shop, the officer was alleged to have hit him with a flashlight in the back of the head causing a massive skull fracture that he could not explain. And yes, there was a very public trial during which I represented the officer and experts shared their differing opinions as to the cause of death with the jury. And the jury did reach a verdict consistent with that portrayed in the book.
About Chet Pleban
For the past 40 years, Chet Pleban has spent his days in a courtroom talking to juries, trying to convince them that his client was right and the opposition wrong. Many of his clients are police officers who find themselves on the wrong side of the law.
In addition to representing people accused of criminal acts, he also represents those who suffered serious injuries and whose employment was wrongfully terminated. For the most part, he has spent his career representing the underdog and fighting big government or large corporations.
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