Three Black Men Awarded Largest Settlement In Ohio’s History For Wrongful Imprisonment
Three men who were wrongfully convicted and imprisoned in connection to a deadly robbery in 1975 have reached a multi-million settlement with the city of Cleveland, which is the largest in the state’s history.
According to Cleveland 19 News, 63-year-old Rickey Jackson, Wiley Bridgeman, 65, and his brother Kwame Ajamu, 62, reportedly resolved the civil lawsuit against the city for an $18 million settlement for police misconduct, falsifying evidence, and coercing a witness.
The three men, who were 17, 20 and 18 years old respectively, were accused and convicted of the murder of Harold Franks in 1975.
According to their attorneys, the convictions of Jackson and the two brothers were based on coerced testimony from a 12-year-old boy. The witness eventually came forward and admitted that local police coerced him to provide false testimony during the trial. The three men were all exonerated and released by 2014.
“For 45 years, our clients never gave up hope that someday their nightmare would be over,” attorney Terry Gilbert said. “That time has come with this final resolution providing some measure of justice and closure. But the physical and emotional trauma our clients were forced to endure is an example of the deep flaws of a racist criminal legal system focused on results rather than truth and justice.”
According to the attorneys, the $18 million settlement is the largest in Ohio history.
