Jabbar Collins, Wrongfully Imprisoned for 16 Years, Gets $10 Mil Settlement from City
Albert Samaha
Jabbar Collins's lawsuit against the city and state for his 16-year wrongful imprisonment has been a groundbreaking case. The case forced former Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes to testify under oath about misconduct in his office for the first time. It led to the telling deposition of top prosecutor Michael Vecchione, who answered "I don't recall" more than 300 times during questioning. Former Brooklyn Detective Louis Scarcella was one of the next witnesses on the list. Other high level criminal justice officials may have followed.
The trial was scheduled for October. It was setting up to be a spectacle, with a parade of powerful men taking the stand to answer questions about their roles in the city's wrongful convictions.
But instead, the case has come to a close. On Tuesday, New York City agreed to pay Collins a $10 million settlement.
That comes about month after the state reached a $3 million settlement with Collins, who is 42.
http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/2014/08/jabbar_collins_10_million_settlement_city.php
