Wrongly Convicted Man Settles with New York City and State for $2.6 Million

By Evan Mix

Published on April 05, 2009

Olmedo Hidalgo served almost 14 years in prison for the slaying of a nightclub bouncer in 1990 before he and an alleged accomplice were cleared in 1990. The former New York City resident, now living in the Dominican Republic, sued the Manhattan district attorney's office, the city police, and others for civil rights violations after being released in 2005. The suit was settled this week for $2.6 million.

Questions about the guilt of Hidalgo and an alleged accomplice, who was also subsequently released, plagued the case from the start. Critics included federal prosecutors, police, defense attorneys, and members of the press. The men were sentenced to 25 years to life despite evidence including a confession of guilt from another suspect.

The office of the district attorney launched an investigation into the convictions in 2003, which concluded that neither defendant was guilty. But officials at the DA's office nonetheless ordered that the conviction be defended in court. Hidalgo was retried and exonerated in 2005. His alleged accomplice was retried in 2007, and currently has a similar lawsuit pending.

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