>> WHEN HE WALKED OUT OF AN ILLINOIS PRISON LAST MONTH.

62 YEAR-OLD JAMES JIMMY HAD SERVED THE LONGEST SENTENCE IN A STATE FOR WRONGFUL CONVICTION AT 42 YEARS NOW HOME FOR JUST A MONTH.

SOCAL SAT DOWN WITH BRANDIS FRIEDMAN TO SHARE HOW HE USED HIS TIME ON THE INSIDE TO START HIS NEW LIFE ON THE OUTSIDE.

>> IT WAS JIMMY SOTOS FIRST SUNRISE OVER LAKE MICHIGAN IN OVER 42 YEARS TO BE THERE AND TO SEE IT.

>> LET ME KNOW.

AND I WAS REALLY OUT THE FRESH AIR IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL, SUNNY DAY.

HER EXTENDED FAMILY.

WHEN WE VISITED SOTO AT HIS SISTER'S HOME IN CHICAGO, HE'D BEEN OUT OF PRISON FOR JUST 6 DAYS.

>> DISCOVERING A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT WORLD FROM THE ONE HE LEFT.

>> I CRASHED MY EYE MAC NOTEBOOK.

NUMBER SEVERAL TIMES TO GET STUCK ON MY PHONE ON CERTAIN THINGS, FOLDERS A POP UP AND I CAN'T GET OUT OF THERE.

>> IT'S NOT JUST THE TECHNOLOGY, EVEN A TRIP TO THE GROCERY STORE CAN BE OVERWHELMING FOR SOMEONE WHO'S BEEN IMPRISONED SINCE HE WAS 19 YEARS OLD STANDING THERE WITH PUSHING A CART.

AND I GOT FROZEN.

SO I SEE ALL THIS VARIETY MEALS.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO.

BUT I PICKED ALL KNOW THAT THE SELLING THE COMMISSARY BECAUSE I KNOW THAT YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING.

HE'S NOW GRASPING THE PARTS OF FREEDOM THAT MOST OF US TAKE FOR GRANTED.

THAT'S PART IS BEING WITH FAMILY WAKING UP IN A QUEEN SIZE YOU KNOW, BEING ABLE TO WALK NO MORE THAN 6 FEET TO A SHOWER BY YOURSELF WITH HOT WATER THAT CAN ADJUST THE LITTLE AMENITIES ME SO MUCH.

>> TO A PERSON WANTS TO GET OUT AND AM SO APPRECIATIVE.

I KEPT HOPE ALIVE AND MY FAMILY WAS >> JUST CAN'T WAIT TO START MY LIFE ON THIS SIDE OF THE BALL.

SO TO WALKED OUT OF STATE BILL PRISON ON DECEMBER 14TH AFTER THE COOK COUNTY STATE'S ATTORNEY'S OFFICE DROPPED THE CHARGES.

HE'S DOUBLE HOMICIDE CONVICTION.

HE AND HIS COUSIN DAVID AYALA RELEASED FROM SERVING THEIR LIFE SENTENCES.

IT'S JUST A TRAGEDY SPENT 42 YEARS WAITING FOR THIS MOMENT WHILE SERVING HIS SENTENCE.

SOTO EARNED A BACHELOR'S DEGREE FROM NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY ALSO A BROTHER HERE WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR OTHER EXONERATIONS.

ALSO YOU GOT.

>> AND BECAME SOMETHING OF A JAILHOUSE LITIGATOR TEACHING HIMSELF THE LAW IN ORDER TO PROVE HIS OWN INNOCENCE.

JIMMY HAD RAISED SOME OF THESE ISSUES BEFORE.

BUT THE COURTS NEVER REALLY LOOK AT THEM.

THERE ARE ALWAYS REASONS THAT THE COURT JUST OUTRIGHT DISMISSED HIS BECAUSE BECAUSE HE WAS REPRESENTING HIMSELF AT THE TIME.

>> I THINK LARGELY YES.

AND THERE THIS THE SYSTEM COURTS JUST REALLY.

LIKE FINALITY.

THAT'S HOW OUR SYSTEM IS SET UP THAT ONCE YOU ARE CONVICTED, IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO OVERTURN A CONVICTION.

IMAGINE TRYING TO DO IT FROM BEHIND PRISON WALLS.

>> MY FIRST POST CONVICTION LINGERED.

IN THE STATE COURTS OVER 20 YEARS.

IT REVERSE REMAND IT TWICE.

YOU KNOW, I THOUGHT THAT I WOULD REALLY FROM THAT.

BUT IT DIDN'T HAPPEN.

SO, YOU KNOW, I HAD TO GO BACK TO TO SQUARE ONE.

LOOK AT ALL THESE RECORDS AND REPORTS AND DOING FOIA REQUESTS, ETCETERA.

HE FILED SO MANY PETITIONS, SO MANY EMOTIONS, SO MANY BRIEFS IN HIS OWN CASE TO TRY TO GET SOMEONE TO LISTEN TO GET A COURT TO LISTEN.

>> A STATE THAT RAIN TO LISTEN, ANYONE AND IT'S STILL TALK.

42 YEARS NOW THAT HE'S FREE SOTO PLANS TO ATTEND LAW SCHOOL AND BECOME A WRONGFUL CONVICTION.

ATTORNEY HIMSELF.

>> HAVING ALREADY WON HIS BIGGEST CASE YET.

EVERY TIME WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE CASEY HAD NEW IDEAS ABOUT WHETHER IT'S A NEW CASE TO SITE OR A NEW INVESTIGATORY PAST THAT WERE NEW WITNESS WE COULD TALK TO OR SOMETHING HE'S ALWAYS THINKING ABOUT THE LITTLE TINY, KATIE.

SHE JUST TURNED ALL ALONG.

>> HER ALL MEANWHILE, SOTO IS CATCHING UP ON ALL THAT HE MISSED WITH HELP FROM HIS LITTLE SISTER.

MY DAD WENT EVERY SUNDAY TO VISIT ME.

AND SO I WENT TO.

>> AND SO I SAW HIM ALL THE TIME, YOU AND I WROTE HIM LETTERS AND JEROME LITTLE PICTURES.

POLAR MORE WAS 8 YEARS OLD WHEN HER BIG BROTHER WENT TO PRISON.

SHE'S 50.

I'VE BEEN WITH HIM EVERY STEP OF THE WAY TO SOME CAPACITY AND THERE ARE OTHER TIMES WHERE.

I FELT LIKE THE CASE MAYBE HAD SOME MOVEMENT AND IT WOULDN'T.

I JUST LOOK FORWARD TO GETTING TO KNOW HIM BECAUSE IT IS DIFFERENT.

ALL OF THOSE LETTERS AND STUFF THEY CAN NEVER CONVEY ALL THAT.

>> THINGS THAT THAT SOMEONE HAD MISSES OF EVERYDAY LIFE SOTO ALSO MISSED TIME WITH THEIR FATHER.

>> WHO DIED WHILE HE WAS IMPRISONED?

>> HE WAS HE WAS HE WAS IN MY CORNER.

HE BELIEVED AND, YOU KNOW, ONE STATE THAT THEIR DID SOMETHING.

NO, HE WASN'T THERE TO MY THAT SOMEONE GOING TO LIKE IT.

AGAIN FOR THE SMALL THINGS.

GIVE SENATOR COMMISSARY MONEY.

I MEAN, IT'S HARD.

>> AND DESPITE HAVING SERVED THE LONGEST WRONGFUL CONVICTION SENTENCE IN THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, SOTO SAYS HE'S NOT ANGRY, JUST FOCUSED ON HIS FUTURE IS LIKE AN ALTERNATIVE UNIVERSE.

YOU FEEL LIKE YOU ENCAPSULATE SOMEWHERE.

>> AND YOU DIDN'T KNOW THE REAL WORLD.

SO TO SPEAK.

AND SO.

YOU TEND BLOCK IT OUT BECAUSE YOU KNOW THAT TO THINK ABOUT IS JUST TEARS YOU APART.

SO YOU HAD SAY IT DIDN'T EXIST IN A SENSE.

>> BUT DOWN TO GET OUT THERE AND SEE IT.

YOU KNOW, IT'S TANGIBLE.

I DESCRIBED IT AS THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WALL.

THE AIR IS KNOW FOR SURE.

EVERYTHING LOOKED BRIGHTER.

>> FOR CHICAGO TONIGHT, LATINO VOICES BRANDIS FRIEDMAN.

SO HIS ATTORNEYS ARGUE TO CLAIMS TO GET HIM EXONERATED.

ONE OF THE ACTUAL INNOCENCE THAT'S OPAL DID NOT PULL THE TRIGGER IN THE DOUBLE HOMICIDE IN WHICH HE WAS CONVICTED AND ALSO A CONFLICT OF INTEREST.

HIS DEFENSE ATTORNEY AT THE TIME WAS ALSO REPRESENTING THE PRISON HUSAK GOING ATTORNEYS BELIEVE WAS ACTUAL SHOOTER.

>> SO THOSE SAYS HE'S STUDYING