In a recent federal case, a Chicago jury awarded $120 million in damages to two Illinois men, marking the largest award for wrongful conviction in U.S. history. This award was distributed equally between John Fulton and Anthony Mitchell, following their civil lawsuit against the city of Chicago. The lawsuit was filed after their convictions were overturned in 2019, following 16 years of imprisonment for a murder they did not commit. The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois held a monthlong trial, during which evidence was presented showing that the two men were coerced into providing false confessions through intimidation and physical abuse by police.
The convictions were vacated due to a lack of evidence linking them to the crime, a point emphasized by their attorney, Joe Loevy of Loevy & Loevy in Chicago. The case highlights ongoing issues within the judicial and law enforcement systems concerning wrongful convictions and the use of coercion during interrogations. Additional details about this landmark case can be read on Law.com.