Current:Home > StocksNovaQuant-Ronnie Long, Black man wrongfully convicted and imprisoned for 44 years, gets $25 million settlement and apology from city -TradeWise
NovaQuant-Ronnie Long, Black man wrongfully convicted and imprisoned for 44 years, gets $25 million settlement and apology from city
SafeX Pro Exchange View
Date:2025-04-10 01:15:29
A man wrongfully convicted and NovaQuantimprisoned for 44 years has reached a $25 million combined settlement with a central North Carolina city and the state of North Carolina involving a lawsuit accusing authorities of misconduct, the man's lawyers said Tuesday.
The settlement, which will end a wrongful incarceration lawsuit filed by attorneys for Ronnie Wallace Long in 2021, also included a public written apology from the city of Concord for its role in his imprisonment. The city, located about 25 miles northeast of Charlotte, has agreed to pay $22 million of the settlement.
"We are deeply remorseful for the past wrongs that caused tremendous harm to Mr. Long, his family, friends, and our community," the city's statement read. "While there are no measures to fully restore to Mr. Long and his family all that was taken from them, through this agreement we are doing everything in our power to right the past wrongs and take responsibility."
Long, now 68, was a young Black man living in Concord when he was accused of raping a White woman. An all-White jury in Cabarrus County that Long's attorneys said was handpicked by local law enforcement leaders convicted Long of burglary and rape in 1976. At age 21, Long received two life sentences.
Long was helped for years in his criminal case appeal by a wrongful convictions clinic at Duke University's law school. Long's attorneys had said that more than 40 fingerprints collected from the scene were never shared and did not match Long's. Semen samples also were never disclosed to the defense. They later disappeared.
In August 2020, a federal appeals court ordered a new hearing for Long in his effort to obtain relief. Almost immediately, his conviction was vacated and Long was released from prison. Gov. Roy Cooper later that year granted him a full pardon of innocence.
"Willful misconduct"
"48 Hours" correspondent Erin Moriarty spoke to Long in his first sit-down interview after his release.
"To be able to walk out of them gates without being supervised, it was breathtaking," Long said, adding: "I feel as though the criminal justice system here in this state failed me," Long said.
A few months later, a state commission awarded Long $750,000 - by law the state's top compensation for victims of wrongful incarceration. He then sued in federal court in Raleigh, and in part accused Concord police officers of "extraordinary misconduct" that led to his wrongful conviction and imprisonment in violation of his civil rights.
As part of the settlement, Long also received $3 million from the State Bureau of Investigation "as a result of the SBI's role in hiding evidence from Mr. Long and his legal team that proved his innocence," a news release from his attorneys in the lawsuit said. An SBI spokesperson didn't immediately respond Tuesday to an email and text seeking comment.
The city of Concord also said Tuesday it "acknowledges and accepts responsibility for the significant errors in judgment and willful misconduct by previous city employees that led to Long's wrongful conviction and imprisonment."
While Long's attorneys described the monetary payments as one of the largest wrongful conviction settlements nationwide, they said the city's statement was extremely important to their client.
"This result speaks to the magnitude of injustice that occurred in Mr. Long's case," said Chris Olson, one of his lawyers in the lawsuit, adding the "apology goes a long way in helping Mr. Long heal."
In his 2020 interview with CBS News, Long said he wanted to spend time with his family, including his wife, AshLeigh, whom he married in 2014, and visit the graves of his parents.
"I know my mother and father died with a broken heart," he said. "I'm gonna tell them now, when I visit the gravesite, 'Your son is clear.'"
- In:
- Wrongful Convictions
- Lawsuit
- North Carolina
veryGood! (766)
Related
- The FBI should have done more to collect intelligence before the Capitol riot, watchdog finds
- Mercedes-Benz recalls 116,000 vehicles for fire risk: Here's which models are affected
- Governor’s plan to boost mass transit aid passes Pennsylvania House, but faces long odds in Senate
- The Utah Jazz arena's WiFi network name is the early star of March Madness
- Where will Elmo go? HBO moves away from 'Sesame Street'
- Deion Sanders responds to story about his unique recruiting style: 'I'm Coach Prime'
- Texas immigration law blocked again, just hours after Supreme Court allowed state to arrest migrants
- Jeopardy!'s Mike Richards Speaks Out More Than 2 Years After Being Fired From Hosting Gig
- Former longtime South Carolina congressman John Spratt dies at 82
- Hurry! Only six weeks left to consolidate student loan debt for a shot at forgiveness
Ranking
- Residents worried after ceiling cracks appear following reroofing works at Jalan Tenaga HDB blocks
- Homelessness, affordable-housing shortage spark resurgence of single-room ‘micro-apartments’
- South Carolina House votes to expand voucher program. It’s fate in Senate is less clear
- Chipotle’s board has approved a 50-for-1 stock split. Here’s what that means
- Highlights from Trump’s interview with Time magazine
- Why Ryan Phillippe Is Offended by Nepotism Talk About His and Reese Witherspoon's Kids
- 1 of the few remaining survivors of the attack on Pearl Harbor has died at 102
- March Madness schedule today: Everything to know about NCAA Tournament games on Thursday
Recommendation
Meta releases AI model to enhance Metaverse experience
The Top 32 Amazon Beauty Deals on Celeb-Loved Picks: Kyle Richards, Chrishell Stause, Sarah Hyland & More
NFL free agency 2024: Top 20 free agents still available as draft day looms
Some Georgia workers would find it harder to become union members under a new bill
Trump invites nearly all federal workers to quit now, get paid through September
It's official: Caitlin Clark is the most popular player in college basketball this year
A Nebraska bill to subject librarians to charges for giving ‘obscene material’ to children fails
1 of the few remaining survivors of the attack on Pearl Harbor has died at 102