New York City has agreed to pay $9.9 million, the largest personal settlement in its history, to a man who served almost two decades in prison but was released after evidence surfaced that he had been framed for murder by a corrupt detective, reports the New York Times. Barry Gibbs had served 19 years in prison when his conviction was overturned in 2005 after questions were raised about how his case had been handled by Louis Eppolito, a New York City police detective, one of the notorious “Mafia cops” serving life in prison for taking part in mob-related killings.
Gibbs, 62, who has battled severe health problems, had received a $1.9 million settlement from the state. “It's a horrible injustice,” said Barry Scheck, an attorney for Gibbs and co-director of the Innocence Project at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. “He was in prison close to 19 years, and he was framed by one of the worst cops that ever served in the New York City police force, a man who disgraced the badge.”