Exoneree Dewey Bozella to Receive $7.5 Million in Settlement of Civil Suit

In an update to an earlier 

post

, the 

New York Times

 is reporting that exoneree 

Dewey Bozella will receive $7.5 million

 from Dutchess County, New York, in settlement for the civil suit that he brought for his wrongful conviction. Bozella settled with the county on the eve of trial in January. Earlier reports about the settlement didn’t disclose the amount.

Bozella served 26 years in prison for the murder of an elderly woman before he was finally freed in 2009. The Innocence Project took on Bozella’s case but later realized there was no evidence that could be submitted to DNA testing. Convinced of his innocence, the Innocence Project persuaded lawyers at Wilmer Hale to take up his case on a pro bono basis, and they were able to prove he was innocent of the crime by uncovering additional evidence that was never turned over to the defense. According to the 

Times

, the Wilmer Hale lawyers also brought the civil suit on a pro bono basis, meaning Bozella will receive the full $7.5 million settlement.

Bozella made national headlines when he won his first and only professional boxing match at the age of 52.

Read the full story about Bozella’s settlement

.

Learn more about his case

.