Wayne County prosecutors accused of freeing innocent man only if he agreed not to sue - Detroit Metro Times

Wayne County Prosecutors' Deal to Free Innocent Man Raises Questions About Coercion and Manipulation.

Gregory Berry was released from prison in December 2020 after serving over 17 years for a murder he didn't commit. However, his experience raises concerns about coercion and manipulation by prosecutors. According to Berry, the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office gave him an ultimatum: plead no contest to accessory after the fact or remain convicted of murder and serve life in prison.

Berry was sick with COVID at the time and had only a day to consider the deal. The prosecutor's office disputed this account, calling it "completely untrue." However, Berry claims that prosecutors withheld information about Detective Barbara Simon, who has a history of coercive interrogations and false confessions. Berry would not have taken the plea if he had known about Simon's past.

Berry's case is one of many cases involving Simon, who has been accused of coercing statements in other cases. Exoneree Lamarr Monson recently filed a civil rights complaint with the US Department of Justice warning that men whose convictions were tied to Simon remain incarcerated due to lost files and missing evidence.

The Wayne County Prosecutor's Office claimed that Berry was given full access to CIU records, which would have allowed him to make an informed decision. However, Berry argues that he was manipulated by prosecutors and didn't understand his rights.

Berry's case highlights the need for outside agencies to oversee the work of prosecutors like Simon. Berry believes that without such oversight, defendants will never receive a fair investigation.

The deal that freed Berry has sparked questions about how prosecutors handle convictions tainted by the work of coercive detectives. Despite multiple federal lawsuits and millions in settlements, prosecutors say they can only act on evidence specific to each case.

Berry's experience is a wake-up call for the justice system, highlighting the need for transparency and accountability in cases involving coercive interrogations and false confessions.

I'm low-key freaked out by this whole situation . Like, I get it, prosecutors are trying to balance fairness with results, but coercion and manipulation? That's a whole other level of messed up . And can we talk about the timeline here? 24 hours to decide on a plea deal? That's not fair to anyone, especially when you're sick and still trying to wrap your head around everything .

I'm also kinda annoyed that the prosecutor's office is disputing Berry's account of events . It's one thing to say they gave him access to records, but if he didn't have a clear understanding of what was going on, then that's not fair either .

We need more transparency and accountability in cases like this, trust me . I mean, it's one thing to say "we're working on it", but actually doing something about it? That takes effort . And if outside agencies aren't involved, how can we ensure that justice is really being served? It's a good question, and I hope someone in power starts taking it seriously .

man this whole thing just breaks my heart... but at the same time, i think it's an amazing reminder that we have people like Gregory Berry fighting for our rights he deserves so much credit for standing up for himself despite being in a super vulnerable situation and honestly, the fact that we're having these conversations about coercion and manipulation by prosecutors is a huge step forward

i mean, think about it... if we can get more people like Berry to speak out against injustices, we'll be able to create real change and hold our justice system accountable and let's not forget the work of people like Lamarr Monson, who's fighting for justice and equality

it's all about raising awareness and pushing for transparency and accountability so that we can make sure everyone has access to fair investigations and a good defense

I'm really worried about these cases of coercion and manipulation by prosecutors... like, what if you're already sick and your life depends on making a decision? It's crazy that Berry had only one day to think about it and wasn't told about Simon's history! And it's not just Berry, Monson is warning about other guys who might have been wrongfully convicted because of Simon's tactics. We need some serious oversight here... like, the government should be able to step in and make sure prosecutors aren't playing games with people's lives. It's all about ensuring fairness and transparency in our justice system

I cant even imagine being stuck in that situation ! It's crazy that he was given an ultimatum like that. I think its so important that we have more outside agencies checking on these cases, you know? Its not just about the defendant's rights, but also about making sure the system isn't broken because of coercive tactics.

I mean, if a sick guy like Berry has to rush into a decision with barely any information, it's no wonder he made a mistake. And now Lamarr Monson is saying that other guys who got convicted under Detective Simon are still stuck in prison? That's just not right . We need to make sure our system is working for everyone, not just the ones who have power or money.

And can we talk about how messed up it is when prosecutors say they can't act on evidence because of some technicality? Like, what even is that? It's all so frustrating . I wish there was more transparency and accountability in this system. Its time for a change .

This whole thing is wild, man... I mean, you're doing 17 years for something you didn't even do, and then you get this offer from the prosecutors that's basically "take a plea or rot". Like, what even is that? And they're saying it was just a misunderstanding about the timeline, but come on, you've been locked up for that long. You deserve so much better than some rush job by the prosecutors.

And then there's this Detective Simon... I don't trust her one bit. Coercive interrogations are already super sketchy, and if she's got a history of getting people to say whatever they want, even if it's not what really happened... that's just gross.

We need to do better than just "oh, we'll look into this next case". We need real oversight and accountability in the system. Otherwise, people like Berry are going to keep getting screwed over because the prosecutors don't want to rock the boat.

I'm all for transparency and fairness in our justice system. It's time to shine a light on these kinds of cases and make sure we're not just sweeping things under the rug.

I'm literally shaking my head after reading about Gregory Berry's experience . The fact that he was given an ultimatum by prosecutors and had to plead no contest while being sick with COVID is just not right . And now they're disputing his account? That's just a red flag .

I feel so bad for Berry, who spent 17 years in prison for something he didn't do . And what really gets me is that there are other cases involving Detective Barbara Simon that have similar issues... it's like a pattern of coercion and manipulation .

We need to make sure that our justice system is transparent and accountable, especially when it comes to coercive interrogations and false confessions . No one should ever be forced to plead guilty or remain convicted without knowing all the facts . The government needs to step in and oversee these cases, like a third party review process .

It's not just about Berry's case; it's about all the men who are still incarcerated due to lost files and missing evidence . We need to fix this systemic issue before more innocent people get hurt .

This whole thing stinks of corruption ! I mean, how can you just coerce someone into pleading guilty or face life in prison? That's not justice, that's manipulation . We need to hold these prosecutors accountable for their actions and make sure there are checks in place to prevent this kind of coercion from happening again.

I'm also thinking about the systemic issues here... if we can't trust our detectives to conduct fair investigations, how do we know they're not just covering up their own mistakes? We need outside oversight, whether it's a civilian review board or something like that. Anything less is just too much of a risk.

And let's be real, this is just another example of the unequal justice system we have in this country . One guy gets a deal and suddenly the prosecutor's office is like "oh, we were just trying to help him"? Give me a break! We need reform, not just some token lip service about making sure cases are handled fairly.

man this whole thing is wild like what kinda deal lets you plead no contest just so you don't have to spend life behind bars? it sounds super sketchy that they basically told him 'take the deal or forever' with some dude who's got a history of getting people to confess through coercion

and can we talk about how this all went down? he was literally sick and had like one day to consider it... what if he just messed up? and now there are all these other guys stuck in jail because of the same detective and it's just not right the system needs some serious overhaul, especially when it comes to oversight and accountability.

i'm still trying to wrap my head around this whole thing... what do you think, should we be holding our prosecutors accountable for this kind of stuff?

I'm telling you, this whole thing with Gregory Berry is a total mess ! I mean, come on, a guy gets locked up for 17 years for a murder he didn't commit, and then the prosecutors try to strong-arm him into pleading guilty? That's just not right! And don't even get me started on Detective Barbara Simon - her history of coercive interrogations and false confessions is a scandal waiting to happen . The fact that they're trying to cover it up by saying Berry made it all up is just laughable .

And what really gets my goat is that the prosecutors are only acting now because someone like Lamarr Monson is suing them? I mean, we should be holding them accountable for this kind of thing years ago, not waiting for some civil rights complaint to get their attention . It's a total shame that Berry had to go through all this trauma just to get his freedom back.

We need more accountability in the justice system, and fast ! We can't let prosecutors like Simon get away with this kind of manipulation and coercion. It's time for some real oversight and transparency, or else we're going to keep seeing cases like Berry's where innocent people are locked up for decades due to flawed investigations .