Almost 50 years ago, a man was sent to prison and put on death row. He was incarcerated for decades, but he was recently exonerated. He never committed the crime for which he was imprisoned, and he has now been released.
However, his legal team was quick to point out that it’s impossible for him to get those lost years back. Even though his official record now reflects the fact that he should never have been put behind bars in the first place, those 50 years are gone. As a result, the man has been paid over $7 million by the city.
Why was he convicted?
As with most wrongful convictions, this case seems to be connected to an inaccurate eyewitness statement. However, the lawsuit that the man filed says that it was the police officers who falsified that statement. A clerk was shot and killed during a store robbery, and the police report claims that a witness identified the man as the perpetrator. But that man believes that the police withheld evidence and falsified the report to include this statement, identifying him as the perpetrator when he actually did nothing wrong.
Initially, a judge allowed the man to leave prison in 2023, saying that a new trial would be necessary. However, the district attorney looked into the case and said there isn’t any physical evidence to be examined. As such, they decided not to retry the case. The exonerated man was initially given $175,000. This was before the $7 million that he was recently granted through a lawsuit.
This man’s story helps to show how and why people are falsely convicted, whether through mistakes made by the police or inaccurate witness statements. It’s very important for those in this position to know exactly what legal options they have.
