Christine Agaiby

When you think of a hero what comes to mind? Someone with a cape and super powers?  In reality heroes come in all shapes and sizes and Christine Agaiby is a true one. Christine is a lawyer who grew up in Wisconsin. She gets inspired by youth while working on her cases. She has very little free time but when she does she likes to do yoga, cook and go shopping. Even though she has had some hard times she turned out to be be a very beautiful, independent person who is changing the lives of many people.

During high school things were pretty rough for Christine. She was the only child of immigrants in her whole school. “People didn’t appreciate my diversity, so they would make very ridiculous comments about how I need to go back to my country,” Christine stated when asked about her high school experience. She said, “Especially because I’m middle eastern, after September 11th it got even harder because people were very anti-east.” She didn't have a good counselor. She had no help in getting scholarships because her counselor told her she wasn't going to make it far. Christine didn’t let all that negativity stand in her way. She went to college and enjoyed it . She loved the freedom and how she could focus on what she wanted to do for the rest of her life. “I’m going to paying loans for the next thirty years. I get to do what I love to do and that’s all that matters.” She was determined at all costs to help these people.

Christine’s first job after high school was a public defender. She realized that a lot of teens were getting arrested in school for very minor offenses that if they did in the community they wouldn't be arrested for, which is something she never learned about in law school. This is something she wanted to end. She wanted to help the teens. Christine started volunteering at Northwestern and was soon offered a new job position. “This position came open and I’m like of course I wanna help innocent people come out of jail.” Today she has people hundreds of people get freedom back that was taken away from them many years ago. These people were tricked at a very young age to give their childhood away for things they never even did. The police interrogate these teens by accusing them and telling them if they just admit to the crime they could go home. One person this happened to was a teen named Michael Crow.

One of Christine's clients, Michael Crow, was only fourteen when he was arrested. His family was killed and the police accused him of being the murderer. When asked did he do it he denied it, but later admitted to it. Michael was innocent. He was interrogated for ten hours being told if he just admitted he did it, he could go home. “Being in such a emotional state it’s easy for the police to play mind tricks on you and get you to say what they want to hear,” she said. Christine helped him get his freedom back by revealing new evidence that showed his innocence. Now Michael is in his thirties, a free man, but has a lot of re-adjusting to do.

Christine also helps her clients re-adjust to their surroundings and the new technology. “These guys are in prison and when they come out of prison they’ve never seen a computer. They have no idea what a cellphone is,” she stated. She helps them get back on their feet. One of her clients even was invited to a senior prom because he missed out on his. Christine works to bring justice to these people. One way she does so is through protests and rallies. One recent one was called “Justice for Johnny.” Teens connected with his story and marched on Michigan Avenue in solidarity to help Christine win the case. “Just being there makes a difference,” she said. Since so many people came to show support it grabbed the attention of many to start supporting innocent people too .

Christine is one of many heroes in our community. She serves to make a positive difference in many people’s lives. She’s the perfect role model for anyone. Even though her job is difficult and sometimes stressful she loves it. The time I spent with Christine has opened my eyes to an issue that Ii thought was rare, but happens quite often. Before this interview I didn't realize this was even a big issue. Teens everyday are being convicted for things they didn't do. This needs to stop. More people need to stand up and support people like Christine to fight against this issue and help free these innocent people.