41 million dollars was awarded to a man who was wrongfully imprisoned for murder and rape of 15-year-old student.
Man who was falsely accused of raping and killing a fellow high school student has obtained a settlement of $41,650,000 from the state
Jeffrey Deskovic, 40, of Putnam County, New York, was sentenced to prison in 1991 for the rape, beating, and strangulation of 15-year-old Angela Correa.
Attorneys for Mr. Deskovic claim that he won a record-breaking case against Putnam County and sheriff’s investigator Daniel Stephens.
Because Deskovic had arrived late to school that day – despite the victim’s DNA not matching – investigators focused their attention on him.
DNA evidence from the victim lead to another suspect, Steven Cunningham, who later confessed to the crime, and he was acquitted in 2006.
During a six-hour interview, he was subjected to three lie detector tests.
A pressured confession led to his unjust conviction and imprisonment in the high security Elmira Correctional Facility in Chemung County, New York.
As a result of his erroneous conviction and imprisonment, Mr. Deskovic has become a public figure
Since his release, he has won multiple settlements and founded The Jeffrey Deskovic Foundation for Justice, a non-profit organization dedicated to fighting unlawful
In the past year, the city of Peekskill, New York, paid him a settlement of $5.4 million, and the state of New York had previously awarded him $1.8 million for
Another $6.8 million was awarded to him by the Westchester County, with a portion of $1.5 million going
