The Chicago city Council on Wednesday approved the payment of compensation in the amount of 31 million dollarswhich will be split between four men wrongly sentenced to prison for rape and murder and who have served a significant part of this punishment. The data obtained in the result of the DNA test in 2011, allowed the court to fully justify previously convicted. An additional proof of their innocence was clearly based on the late FBI report, which stated unaffordable measures of investigation and the provision of juvenile suspects moral and physical effects with a view to obtaining from them confessions.
According to ABC News, four men — Michael Saunders, Vincent Thames, Harold Richardson and Terrill swift was convicted of the rape and murder of 30-year-old prostitute Nina Glover. At the time of sentencing the defendant was between 15 and 18 years. Before all four were found innocent, behind bars, they had to spend 17 years.
The compensation that will pay the city illegally condemned, is one of the largest in history. Although the plaintiffs demanded much more – $ 70 million.
In 2004, Chicago in total paid more than 660 million dollars to settle issues, such as the case described in connection with unfounded allegations or convictions.
City Council member Howard Brookins Jr. said that such a huge amount of compensation for unlawful conviction is a problem. However, there are much more profound and fatal difficulties such as the police culture, which for many years allowed officers to abuse their powers and get away with it.
