Baltimore poised to pay $9M to man who spent 20 years in prison on wrongful murder conviction

Baltimore is poised to pay $9 million to a man who was wrongfully convicted of murder and spent 20 years in prison before DNA evidence cleared his name a decade ago.

The amount would be the largest settlement from the city in a case involving alleged police misconduct, officials said, and it represents a rare outcome for people who prove they were wrongfully convicted.

City lawyers who are recommending the settlement were mindful of a federal jury’s decision last year to award a far greater amount — $15 million — to a man who filed a wrongful conviction lawsuit against the Baltimore Police Department and two police detectives.

“It’s wise to pay attention to those verdicts and to those numbers,” said Baltimore’s deputy city solicitor, Dana Moore.

Read more: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/baltimore-city/bs-md-ci-wrongful-conviction-settlement-20180430-story.html