A man who spent over five years in jail for a crime he did not commit is now seeking justice through the courts. James Pope filed a complaint on December 31, 2024, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois against several Chicago Police Department detectives and the City of Chicago. The lawsuit accuses the defendants of malicious prosecution and unlawful detention under 42 U.S.C. § 1983.
James Pope's ordeal began on February 11, 2017, when his best friend Taurins Pope was murdered in an alley behind 124 N. Menard Ave, Chicago. Despite sharing a last name, they were not related but were close friends who often referred to each other as cousins. The murder was captured on grainy surveillance footage that failed to provide clear details about the perpetrators or their vehicles. Following the incident, detectives Chris Matias and William Fiedler focused their investigation on James Pope after discovering his car near the crime scene.
Despite lacking any physical evidence linking him to the murder, Pope was arrested after voluntarily speaking with detectives about his whereabouts on the morning of Taurins' death. Gunshot residue tests conducted shortly after his arrest returned negative results, and further forensic analysis of his car and clothing revealed no incriminating evidence. Nonetheless, he was charged with first-degree murder based on allegedly falsified reports by detectives Matias and Michael T. Kennedy.
Pope’s nightmare continued as he endured nearly six years in Cook County Jail under harsh conditions while awaiting trial. He faced violent attacks from other inmates and suffered from insomnia and depression due to these traumatic experiences. His legal team argues that the police pursued charges against him despite knowing he was innocent because they believed he might have information about Taurins' murder.
The complaint seeks compensatory damages for loss of liberty, emotional distress, physical harm, financial damages, and more. It also demands punitive damages against individual defendants Matias, Fiedler, Kennedy, and Gonzalez for their alleged misconduct during Pope's arrest and detention process.
Representing James Pope are attorneys Paul K. Vickrey, Patrick F. Solon, and Dylan M. Brown from Vitale Vickrey Niro Solon & Gasey LLP in Chicago. The case is presided over by Judge Alfredo Maldonado under Case ID: 1:24-cv-13392.