RECORD PAYOUT: GBP 8.5M Settlement For NYC Man Wrongly Jailed For Murder In 93

Story By:  Ana Marjanovic, Sub-Editor: Michael Leidig, Agency:  Newsflash

A New York law firm has secured a record-breaking GBP 8.5-million settlement for a man wrongly convicted of murder in 1993.

Law firm White & Case LLP, headquartered in New York City, said they represented Shawn Williams on a pro bono basis and won a USD 10.5-million (GBP 8.5-million) settlement for his wrongful conviction of second-degree murder in Brooklyn in 1993.

The law company said he “maintained his innocence through 24 years in prison and was finally exonerated in 2018”.

Shawn Williams was awarded a record-setting USD 10.5 million civil rights settlement from the City of New York, USA, in May, 2022, because he was was wrongfully convicted of second-degree murder and spent 24 years in prison. (Newsflash)

After the ruling, Williams said: “I extend my deepest gratitude to the entire White & Case team, who worked tirelessly on my case.

“Thanks to their efforts, I have finally received a measure of compensation for the injustice that I suffered.”

White & Case said in a statement on 6th May: “Mr. Williams’ conviction rested solely upon the testimony of a single eyewitness, who claimed to have identified him from a window in her sixth-story apartment, at midnight.

Shawn Williams was awarded a record-setting USD 10.5 million civil rights settlement from the City of New York, USA, in May, 2022, because he was was wrongfully convicted of second-degree murder and spent 24 years in prison. (Newsflash)

“Despite the flimsy evidence against him and strong evidence demonstrating that he was in Pennsylvania at the time of the murder, Mr Williams was convicted and sentenced to 25 years to life in prison.

“In 2014, the eyewitness recanted, confessing in a sworn affidavit that notorious detective Louis N. Scarcella coerced her into falsely identifying Mr Williams.

“The witness also revealed that she had initially refused to testify against Mr Williams, but was arrested, transported from her home in Georgia to New York, and forced to testify against her will – a fact previously hidden from Mr Williams’ defense team.”

Shawn Williams was awarded a record-setting USD 10.5 million civil rights settlement from the City of New York, USA, in May, 2022, because he was was wrongfully convicted of second-degree murder and spent 24 years in prison. (Newsflash)

The law firm added: “The USD 10.5 million settlement is believed to be the largest yet in the long string of cases involving alleged misconduct by Detective Scarcella, whose tactics have resulted in courts overturning more than a dozen convictions since 2013.

White & Case partner Sam Hershey, who led the case and helped to free Mr Williams from prison in 2018, said: “Having represented Mr Williams since he was in prison for a murder he did not commit, it is with great pride that I see him finally receive the compensation he deserves.

“Shawn spent 24 years in prison as an innocent man, and while nothing will ever truly make up for that, he can now finally move forward with his life.”

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