The state of New York will pay Roy Brown $2.6 million for his wrongful imprisonment.
The two sides arrived at that settlement amount Tuesday morning prior the start of a damages trial that had been scheduled in the state Court of Claims in Syracuse.
Brown was released from prison last year after having served 15 years for the murder of a Cayuga County social worker. New DNA evidence exonerated Brown and pointed a different prime suspect, Barry Bench, who had committed suicide.
A court of claims judge earlier this fall had ruled that Brown had proven he deserved to be compensated by the state. Brown's original claim had sought $5 million.
The trial was supposed to have started Monday, but both sides said a "wrinkle" had come up in settlement negotiations, so the judge gave them another day. Neither side today was saying what the wrinkle was.
Brown was released from prison last year after having served 15 years for the murder of a Cayuga County social worker. New DNA evidence exonerated Brown and pointed a different prime suspect, Barry Bench, who had committed suicide.
A court of claims judge earlier this fall had ruled that Brown had proven he deserved to be compensated by the state. Brown's original claim had sought $5 million.
The trial was supposed to have started Monday, but both sides said a "wrinkle" had come up in settlement negotiations, so the judge gave them another day. Neither side today was saying what the wrinkle was.
