California Man Awarded $25M in Largest Wrongful Conviction Settlement

California Man Awarded $25M in Largest Wrongful Conviction Settlement

Introduction

Last Updated: October 3, 2025

$25M Award in California Wrongful Conviction Case

A 72-year-old California man who spent 38 years in prison for a crime he did not commit has been awarded $25 million, in what his lawyers say is the largest wrongful conviction settlement in the state’s history.

The agreement was reached in August, according to court documents made public this week, bringing closure to a decades-long legal battle that began with his wrongful arrest in 1983.

Police Misconduct Alleged in Inglewood Wrongful Conviction

The man had been convicted and sentenced to life without parole for the 1983 sexual assault and murder of a woman who was killed by a single gunshot to the head. His lawsuit accused two Inglewood Police Department officers and a Los Angeles County District Attorney’s investigator of framing him by fabricating and withholding evidence. “No amount of money could ever restore the 38 years of my life that were stolen from me,” he said in a statement. “But this settlement marks the end of a long, painful road, and I look forward to moving forward.” Attorneys for the defendants and the City of Inglewood declined to comment, and further details of the settlement remain confidential.

According to the National Registry of Exonerations, over 3,400 wrongful convictions have been documented in the U.S. since 1989.

DNA Evidence Clears Man After 38 Years in Prison

For years, the man maintained his innocence and sought DNA testing on evidence collected during the original autopsy and sexual assault examination. Although his requests were denied in 2000, he renewed his claim through the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Conviction Integrity Unit in 2021. Subsequent testing revealed that the semen collected from the victim did not match his DNA. Based on these findings, prosecutors joined his defense attorneys in requesting that the conviction be vacated. In 2022, at age 69, he was finally exonerated and released.

DNA Links Real Killer to 1983 California Murder

The case was ultimately reopened by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Conviction Integrity Unit, which investigates claims of wrongful conviction.

The DNA evidence was entered into a state database and matched to another man who had been convicted of a separate armed kidnapping and sexual assault that bore striking similarities to the 1983 murder. That suspect had been arrested less than three weeks after the killing in connection with an unrelated car theft. When police arrested him, they found jewelry and a coin purse matching the murdered woman’s belongings. Despite this, authorities at the time failed to investigate him for the murder. He later died in prison in 2020 while serving a sentence for another crime.

California Judge Declares Man Factually Innocent in 2023

In 2023, a California judge ruled the wrongfully imprisoned man was “factually innocent,” meaning the evidence conclusively proved he did not commit the murder. The ruling formally cleared his name and allowed him to pursue compensation for the decades he lost. Today, he lives in Southern California and remains active in his church community.

Legal Team Says Police Misconduct Carries a Price

Organizations like the Innocence Project have long warned about the systemic dangers of police misconduct and coerced confessions.

His legal team said the settlement sends a strong message about police misconduct. “Departments across California and the nation should take notice that there is a steep price to pay for allowing such egregious misconduct,” one attorney said. The case stands as a stark reminder of the devastating human toll of wrongful convictions and the importance of integrity in law enforcement investigations.