Innocent Black man awarded $25M settlement after wrongful conviction

Ronnie Long, a 68 year old North Carolina native, has settled a lawsuit against the city of Concord and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigations for a total of $25 million. The lawsuit was related to the wrongful imprisonment of Long in 1976. Long was wrongfully convicted of raping a white woman, despite a lack of physical evidence connecting him to the crime. Long, who is Black, was convicted by an all-white jury that was the product of missing potential Black jurors. His attorneys stated that the prosecution used the victim’s identification of Long as evidence, which was arranged by the police to target Long. Long was denied access to evidence that could have proven his innocence. After serving 44 years, 3 months and 17 days in prison, his conviction was vacated and he was released in 2020. In 2021, the case was appealed in federal court and Long was granted a full pardon of innocence. The settlement with the city of Concord also includes a rare public apology, acknowledging their responsibility for the significant errors in judgment and willful misconduct that led to Long’s wrongful conviction and imprisonment. The Wrongful Convictions Clinic representing Long believes that no amount of money will ever compensate for Long’s lost years in prison, and points out that this sum will not make up for missed birthdays, graduations, and other important life events. This settlement is the second-largest wrongful conviction settlement ever recorded.

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