Lopez is seen speaking to his mother on the phone while standing in between his brother and wife the day he was released from prison.
Photo: Spencer Burnett
[From article]
The family of a man who spent more than two decades in prison for a crime he did not commit will finally collect the windfall settlement he never lived to see.
The wife and daughter of William Lopez — who was wrongfully convicted for a 1989 murder — were awarded a $4.2 million settlement from the state Tuesday, according to the family’s lawyer, Dennis Kelly.
The family has yet to settle a separate ongoing lawsuit against the city seeking an additional $15 million.
“This vindicates Willie’s claim of innocence that he maintained for 23 years,” Kelly told The Post one day after the legal victory.
“He lost 23 years of his life, and his family is very happy that this didn’t have to go to trial.”
Lopez was sprung from prison in January 2013 after years of trying to establish his innocence, but his freedom was short-lived. He died in September of 2014 — days before the 55-year-old’s lawsuit for false imprisonment was set to begin.
While his time on the outside gave him an opportunity to reconnect with his wife, Alice and his daughter, Crystal, Lopez struggled financially and depended on the generosity of friends and family to get by.
http://nypost.com/2016/01/20/wrongfully-jailed-man-doesnt-live-long-enough-to-get-4-2-million-settlement/
Wrongfully jailed man doesn’t live long enough to get $4.2M settlement
By Shawn Cohen and Daniel Prendergast
New York Post
January 20, 2016 | 4:55pm
[From article]
The family of a man who spent more than two decades in prison for a crime he did not commit will finally collect the windfall settlement he never lived to see.
The wife and daughter of William Lopez — who was wrongfully convicted for a 1989 murder — were awarded a $4.2 million settlement from the state Tuesday, according to the family’s lawyer, Dennis Kelly.
The family has yet to settle a separate ongoing lawsuit against the city seeking an additional $15 million.
“This vindicates Willie’s claim of innocence that he maintained for 23 years,” Kelly told The Post one day after the legal victory.
“He lost 23 years of his life, and his family is very happy that this didn’t have to go to trial.”
Lopez was sprung from prison in January 2013 after years of trying to establish his innocence, but his freedom was short-lived. He died in September of 2014 — days before the 55-year-old’s lawsuit for false imprisonment was set to begin.
While his time on the outside gave him an opportunity to reconnect with his wife, Alice and his daughter, Crystal, Lopez struggled financially and depended on the generosity of friends and family to get by.
http://nypost.com/2016/01/20/wrongfully-jailed-man-doesnt-live-long-enough-to-get-4-2-million-settlement/
Wrongfully jailed man doesn’t live long enough to get $4.2M settlement
By Shawn Cohen and Daniel Prendergast
New York Post
January 20, 2016 | 4:55pm
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