In a groundbreaking resolution, Ronnie Long, a man who endured 44 years of wrongful imprisonment, is set to receive a historic $25 million settlement, marking the second-largest wrongful conviction compensation in history.
The announcement was made by Duke Law School’s Wrongful Conviction Clinic, revealing the substantial financial acknowledgment of the grave injustice Long faced.
Long, a Black man accused of a crime he did not commit, was convicted in 1976 by an all-White jury for the rape and burglary of a 54-year-old White woman.
His long-awaited exoneration came in 2020 when the US Court of Appeals Judge Stephanie Thacker vacated his conviction, citing deliberate police suppression of critical evidence.
The suppressed evidence, including semen samples and fingerprints that did not match Long, had been intentionally withheld by law enforcement, exposing a troubling pattern of misconduct.
The settlement, consisting of $22 million from the City of Concord and an additional $3 million from the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, acknowledges the severe errors in judgment and willful misconduct that led to Long’s wrongful imprisonment.
The City of Concord, in a rare move, publicly accepted responsibility for the miscarriage of justice, issuing a statement expressing regret for the significant role previous city employees played in Long’s conviction.
The large settlement and the city’s apology carry significant weight, offering some relief to Long as he begins to rebuild his life.
Despite the substantial compensation, Long’s attorney, Jamie Lau, emphasized that no amount of money can fully compensate for the 44 years lost, during which Long missed crucial life events and endured the pain of separation from loved ones.
The settlement brings attention to the inadequacies of compensation laws, as Long had initially been informed that he would receive a mere $750,000 under North Carolina law.
Advocates hope this case sparks a reevaluation of compensation structures for wrongfully convicted individuals, ensuring more equitable redress for those who have suffered such profound injustices.
As Ronnie Long, now free, spends time with his loved ones and fulfills dreams, including the purchase of a Cadillac, the settlement serves as a symbol of accountability, healing, and the collective effort to prevent such injustices from happening again.
Source: CNN
