Robert Logan was recently awarded $3.75 million dollars from the city of New York stemming from a wrongful conviction lawsuit. Logan had been wrongfully imprisoned for 17 years for the 1997 shooting death of Sherwin Gibbons. Logan says he was threatened by police and coerced into signing a false statement. Logan’s attorney, Harold Baker, said that his client was “absolutely ecstatic” at the news of the settlement.
Appeal from prison sparks review of case
Convicted in 1999, Logan wrote the Brooklyn district attorney’s office from prison in 2013 to request that they review his case. His appeal was reviewed by the Brooklyn district attorney’s office, which found that Logan’s trial was marred by false testimony and withheld evidence. Logan was released in 2014.
Monetary damages awarded by city and state
Upon his release, Logan filed suit against New York City for $150 million. The case was settled prior to litigation by the city’s Office of the Comptroller and Logan was awarded $3.75 million. Logan also received compensation from the state of New York in a separate claim related to the wrongful conviction. In that settlement, he was awarded $2.975 million.
Retired Brooklyn detective at the center of cases under review
Logan’s is one of more than 70 cases slated for review by prosecutors in Brooklyn. All those cases involved former detective Louis Scarcella. While the retired NYPD officer has not been convicted of any crime, inmates and their legal representatives have alleged Scarcella used threats to elicit false confessions. Six of the 35 convictions examined thus far have been overturned.
In cases like Logan’s, the efforts of a persistent and effective criminal defense lawyer can make the difference between freedom and prison. If you have been wrongfully convicted, an experienced post-conviction relief attorney such as Russell Spatz may be able to help you get that conviction overturned.
Source:
New York City Settles Wrongful Conviction Lawsuit www.wsj.com, Rebecca Davis O’Brien, 8 Jan 2016