Join us in standing for justice. 

By signing this petition, we hope to help establish a Conviction Integrity Unit (CIU) within Lake County, Indiana. This move is inspired by the increasing need to uphold justice, ensuring that wrongful convictions are averted and that justice serves not just a directive function but an enlightened and evolved one.

Like other Indiana Counties, Lake County has six exonerations. One of which is Willie T. Donald (convicted in 1992) was exonerated and released 2016 for robberies that results in a murder.

However, there are many pleas of innocence from cases out of Lake County that need to be looked at. Like the case of Christopher Dwayne Peterson (aka Obadyah Ben-Yisrayl) also known as the "Shotgun Killer," Ben-Yisrayl was initially convicted of multiple murders in Indiana, but his death sentence was later commuted. Issues of racial bias and improper arrest procedures were prominent during his trials. Some juries acquitted him, while others found him guilty, highlighting inconsistencies in prosecution and racial dynamics. He maintains his innocence after 3 decades of incarceration.

Then there is the case of Cleveland “Chris” Bynum who was arrested for 5 counts of murder. He was ultimately wrongfully convicted on all counts. While Bynum has maintained his innocence the past 25 years, DNA evidence pointing to the true killer, eyewitness recantation, and evidence of police has surfaced that proves his innocence.

Finally, there is the case of Vernon Bateman who was convicted of rape in 1998. Bateman maintained his innocence while in prison and upon his release on parole in Indiana. Evidence has surfaced that the victim and her family says that police told her to pick Bateman as her violator. Other witnesses changed their statements against Bateman saying they were essentially lying. And the rap kit that can definitively prove his innocence was destroyed.

Why is Bateman and others still the victims of wrongful convictions and incarceration? We can supply many answers to that question, but the fact that there is no CIU in Lake County may be the biggest reason.

Since 1989, the National Registry of Exonerations reports that 3,593 individuals have been wrongfully convicted and exonerated in the United States. This accounts for a profound lapse in the justice system, leading to over 32,750 years unjustly taken from people's lives. Our objective is to safeguard these lives and recalibrate the integrity of our justice system by scrutinizing cases for the possibility of misconduct or errors, hence ensuring justice is not just an ideal but a reliable reality we can all abide by.

We urge you to support this crucial initiative by signing this petition. Your signature will serve as a powerful demonstration to our governing bodies, emphasizing the vital need to implement this essential component within our justice framework. By signing and endorsing this petition to the Lake County Prosecutor, you can help catalyze significant change, guiding Lake County toward a justice system we can be truly proud of.

Call to Action

After signing the petition, we encourage you to contact Lake County Prosecutor Bernard A. Carter at:

Address: Building 'B', 1st Floor, 2293 N. Main Street, Crown Point, IN 46307
Phone: 219-755-3720
Fax: 219-755-3642
Make your voice heard as part of this crucial movement for justice reform.

Let's utilize this petition as a platform for change, making wrongful convictions an exception and not a norm.