NY Jury Awards $18.5 Million to Wrongfully Convicted Man

By Jeralyn, Section Innocence Cases
Posted on Wed Oct 20, 2010 at 06:40:48 PM EST
Tags: Alan Newton, wrongful conviction (all tags)

Share This: Digg!

Alan Newton served 22 years for a rape he didn't commit. For years, New York police kept insisting there was no DNA to test. The Innocence Project took up his case and got a DA to find the evidence the police insisted didn't exist:

The rape kit, it turned out, was in its original storage bin from 1984, Barrel No. 22, in the same police warehouse that the authorities said they had searched at least three times since Mr. Newton first asked in 1994.

The DNA cleared Newton and he was released from prison in 2006. A New York jury yesterday awarded him $18.5 million in damages.

The Innocent Project said in 2006 that Newton could have been cleared in 1994, and that 17 other inmates face the same dilemma.

< NM Supreme Court Rejects Constitutional Rights in Juvenile Sentencing | Wednesday Night Open Thread >

Legal

Nothing on this site should be construed as legal advice. TalkLeft does not give legal advice.

TalkLeft is not responsible for and often disagrees with material posted in the comments section. Read at your own risk.

NY Jury Awards $18.5 Million to Wrongfully Convicted Man | 5 comments (5 topical)

Readers Must Login or Create an Account to Comment

If he was incorrectly convicted, then the state (none / 0) (#1)
by BTAL on Wed Oct 20, 2010 at 07:43:49 PM EST

should pay. Simple as that.

The NYPD should pay... (5.00 / 1) (#2)
by kdog on Wed Oct 20, 2010 at 07:52:59 PM EST

for the last 16 years...right out of the police budget. And some cats need to lose their badges, guns, and pensions.


: Err... (5.00 / 1) (#3)
by kdog on Wed Oct 20, 2010 at 07:55:32 PM EST

Last 12 years.

Time for laws . . . (none / 0) (#4)
by Doc Rock on Wed Oct 20, 2010 at 08:25:30 PM EST

. . . to prosecute those who deliberately or through incompetence obstruct justice in cases such as this. Their jeopardy should be proportional to the damage they cause. One old man's opinion.

And no one will be held accountable (none / 0) (#5)
by republicratitarian on Thu Oct 21, 2010 at 07:13:37 AM EST

How many innocent people are in jail? Wrongfully convicted people are released every year, and it's usually the ones who were lucky enough to have DNA evidence to test. And they had to be lucky enough to overcome Police, Prosecutors and DA's who only care about convictions and wins.

How many innocent people sit in prison that had or have no DNA evidence to test? Our system is broke.

"Justice" system indeed.