Case Of Johnny White, Jr.

On Saturday Oct 30, 1999, Johnny White, Jr (age 18yr 2months before 19yr) Decided to lend his vehicle to two female friends who at the time, were 27- and 25-year-old adults. Johnny was told they were going to the store to buy cigarettes. In the time that they had Johnnys vehicle, that is not what they went to do. Instead, they did a fatal drive by shooting without his acknowledgment. At the time these two female friends did this, Johnny White Jr was with two other friends at a local Little Caesars eating pizza, which was a 11min (4.6mi) drive from where the crime took place. Later, Johnny White, Jr and the two female friends that committed the crime were picked up and arrested on First Degree Murder charges on November 1st, 1999. On Wednesday Sept 14, 2000, Johnny White Jr (3 months before 20yrs old) was convicted under the Accountability Theory of First-Degree murder. The Jury and court stated that Johnny White Jr provided a weapon and a vehicle to his two adult female friends. Even though Johnny White Jr knew nothing of what they did until the day he was arrested on November 1st, 1999.  Johnny White Jr being charged for what two adult females did is wrong. The courts were told by these two adult females that he knew nothing of what they did. Yet Illinois Court slammed him with 50 years for something he knew nothing about. Our Illinois Justice system failed Johnny White Jr. putting such a harsh sentence on a young man who was just a teen. The state abused the fact that Johnny was released out of boot camp prior to this incident.

 Johnny White Jr was known to choose his friends back then and should have seen the signs that he needed better friends. Growing up on the streets is not an easy thing to do, adding the concept or thought, that you would never get in trouble for someone else’s actions is also not easy to grasp. Today, November 17, 2024, Johnny White Jr has been in prison for someone else's actions 25 years ago. Leaving his children to grow up not knowing who their father is and his family to grow up without their brother. Their children only knowing their uncle through phone calls and letters. All because two adult women did something in his car that he was not present for. He was clear across town eating pizza with two other friends who also stood up and told the courts where they were at the time when these two adult females committed the crime in his vehicle. How does Illinois courts find it fair to blame an 18-year-old for the actions of these two women? No one should be held accountable for any one’s actions but their own self.

I would like to bring Johnny White Jr home to his family and loved ones. This case is disturbing to what these two females did. One of the females (the 27yr old) took a plea deal of 20yrs and is already home to her children and loved ones.  Johnny White Jr was offered a plea deal and denied it due to the fact that he did not know anything about what these two adult females were doing in his vehicle because he was not there.  

Johnny White Jr sits and hopes and prays for the day that the Illinois Justice System will set him free, so he can be home with his family.

Just recently, Illinois Department of Corrections transferred Johnny White Jr to another prison out of state. IDOC has Johnny White Jr in Segregation since 2014. When they transferred him to another state in Feb of 2023, he is still left in seg. Johnny White Jr has been having a hard time to be able to reach out to his loved ones due to the lack of ability to be able to make phone calls and send messages through the prison systems tablet services. Johnny White Jr is only allowed to send messages and receive messages only once a week, shower once a week, 4 phone calls a month and 2 video visits a month. One face-to-face visit a month which is impossible for his family and loved ones to travel 17hrs to see him. Even harder because the prison he is in is always going on lockdown so it’s hard for his family to plan to travel to see him knowing there is a chance of this prison going on lockdown upon arrival without warning. 

Please help me in signing this petition to fight for Johnny White Jr's freedom that he deserves. I need help getting Johnny White Jr Heard and to get him home where he should have been 25yrs ago.