Man sues for $50M after conviction overturned

by **hob97** » Sat Oct 29, 2011 5:22 pm

Was cleared after spending 14 years in prison for murder of NYC bouncer. A man whose murder conviction was overturned after he spent 14 years in prison has filed a $50 million lawsuit against the city, claiming authorities mishandled dozens of cases and failed to train and supervise prosecutors. The lawsuit filed Monday in federal court for Olmado Hidalgo seeks damages for false arrest, malicious prosecution and false imprisonment. Hidalgo was freed last year after a judge threw out his conviction, saying there was “powerful” evidence that someone else committed the murder of nightclub bouncer Marcus Peterson in 1990. The lawsuit claims the lead police investigator and the case prosecutor both ignored evidence that contradicted their theory of the crime, and that prosecutors did not keep records that might have proven Hidalgo’s innocence, The New York Times reported in Tuesday’s editions. Other incidents cited The lawsuit cites 27 other cases that it says reflect similar misconduct, and it suggests some problems were due to insufficient training, supervision and discipline of prosecutors. “There seems to be a type of pattern,” said Irving Cohen, Hidalgo’s lawyer. A spokeswoman for Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau declined to comment on the lawsuit Monday, saying prosecutors had not yet seen the court papers. A call to the office early Tuesday was not immediately returned. Paul J. Browne, deputy commissioner of the Police Department, said he would not comment because of the pending litigation. Hidalgo, now in his 40s, has returned to his native Dominican Republic.

by **eorl** » Sat Oct 29, 2011 5:27 pm

Wow that is truly a lot of money. I haven't heard about that. I have been busy with work. I haven't had much time for the news. I will have to read up more on that.

by **atworth49** » Sat Oct 29, 2011 5:33 pm

Well, if he wins that lawsuit, he will never have to worry about getting a job. :)

by **chatima** » Sat Oct 29, 2011 5:41 pm

Well, if he wins that lawsuit, he will never have to worry about getting a job. :)

Any amount is too little to comprnsate the years spent in prison.

by **baigh** » Sat Oct 29, 2011 5:43 pm

He deserves every bit of it. That is awful that it happened and some others should be in trouble.

by **gedalyahu** » Sat Oct 29, 2011 5:55 pm

hmmmmmmmm barabar bola

by **curney13** » Sat Oct 29, 2011 6:06 pm

hmmmmmmmm barabar bola

I don't blame him for sueing for that amount. if he was truely innocent and had to sever all that time in prison.. that is terrible. you can't get back 14 years of your life.

by **choviohoya** » Sat Oct 29, 2011 6:12 pm

Perfect example of why I don't support the death penalty. Wrongful convictions happen and innocent people have been executed. For example, if anyone has seen the movie "The Green Mile" there was an execution scene, the one that went very badly. That was based on a real event. The man who was executed was later proven innocent. You can go to innocenceproject.org or jimmydennis.org and see many cases that have been overturned due to wrongful convictions. On jimmydennis.org there is a list of people (123 since 1973) who have been released from death row alone.

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