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<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nIt is clear when reading the below appeal brief that Barton’s legal team made for an incredibly compelling argument in their 60-page appeal brief. The argument being that the lower circuit court judge with the 11th Circuit Court located in McLean County erred in refusing a vast and important amount of newly established evidence be allowed into the 3rd stage evidentiary hearing to be further evaluated with the use of expert witnesses. That this same judge further erred by denying Barton a new trial following the evidentiary hearing that was held last November for when Misook invoked the Fifth Amendment thereby in the process creating even more new evidence pointing to her guilt the judge chose to ignore. Finally that the judge erred significantly when he found that Misook having strangled her mother-in-law 13-years following the Christina murder was no more than “just an interesting fact”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Barton’s legal teams consists of five attorneys (not including support staff and law school students who volunteer to assist them) who specialize in reversing wrongful convictions. Three of Barton’s attorneys are with the Illinois Innocence Project affiliated with the University of Illinois Law School in Springfield and Chicago. Two additional attorneys who also equally represent Barton are with the Exoneration Project that is associated with the University of Chicago Law School. The cover page of the appeal identify these incredible persons who work selflessly for the wrongfully convicted, Barton, just one of many cases they work on each day. In short, they are heroes and should be recognized as such.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The ball now in the court of “the State of Illinois”, whose opposition to Barton’s appeal will be led by the office of McLean County State’s Attorney Erika Reynolds. She and her office are to respond to this appeal whatever opposition they can muster within the next 35 days unless they request a further extension that usually is typical. Once their response has been filed, Barton’s legal team will have 15 days to respond with their final counter argument to the State’s argument.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Oral arguments are already requested with this appeal and if allowed, are scheduled such that each side typically is limited to just 20-minutes each.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Following the oral arguments hearing, a panel made up of three appellate court judges, are to render a ruling on the below appeal. It takes at least two of the judges to make a ruling in either direction. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Below is the 60-page appeal that can be downloaded along with an accompanying audio statement by Barton McNeil and the same statement he makes in writing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n