U.S. court restores $18 million award to man freed in NYC rape case

[Yahoo! News]

By Jonathan Stempel NEW YORK (Reuters) - A federal appeals court on Thursday restored an $18 million jury verdict against New York City and in favor of a man who sued after spending 22 years behind bars for a rape he did not commit. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the city intentionally or recklessly deprived Alan Newton of his due process rights by taking more than a decade to locate a rape kit that showed his DNA did not match samples from the victim. "It's a clear and unequivocal victory," Newton's lawyer John Schutty said in a phone interview. "The 2nd Circuit has unequivocally resolved a constitutional violation, and said the city should be liable." Newton, 53, has been free since July 2006, and is now a research associate with The City University of New York Black Male Initiative.

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