City Council approves $25M settlement for 2 men wrongfully convicted in shooting death of basketball standout
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The City Council on Thursday gave final approval to a $25 million settlement for two men who served a combined 36 years in prison for a murder they didn't commit.
In the 1993 murder case of IIT basketball star Marshall Morgan, two people were initially put away. Tyrone Hood was incarcerated for 22 years after his DNA was found inside Morgan's car.
After that sentence, Wayne Washington pled to a 14-year sentence.
They were later fully exonerated.
"When they overturned this conviction and said I wasn't guilty of this crime, that felt like a major accomplishment," Washington said.
Washington said he was beaten into a confession by Chicago police detectives. And now the city is poised to write massive checks for the two wrongful convictions.
The Finance Committee on Monday approved settling Hood's and Washington's wrongful conviction lawsuits for a combined $25 million. The full City Council signed off on Thursday.
Tyrone Hood will receive $17.5 million, and Wayne Washington will get $7.5 million. Aldermen have said the $25 million total would be a top-five all-time city settlement.
"In this instance, it's so much higher than the average that we've established for a year of improper incarcerations, which is around a quarter million dollars. This is about a million dollars a year," said Ald. Brian Hopkins (2nd).
The city would be on the line for $20 million, and its insurance company would be responsible for the other $5 million.
"We're spending now millions of tax dollars on bad behavior," said Ald. Jeanette Taylor (20th).
And millions more likely coming down the legal pipeline for officers involved in cases like this. One officer in this case got the attention of Ald. Emma Mitts (37th).
"Excluding these two, there are 10 other reverse conviction cases pending against former Detective Beaudreux," said Chicago City Attorney Jessica Felker.
"To target young Black folks and beat them and coerce them into crimes that they didn't commit, that's what I don't like about it," Mitts said.
The officer named in that exchange in the City Council is no longer on the force.
