Man wrongfully convicted of murder sues New York for $100 million

https://news.yahoo.com/man-wrongfully-convicted-murder-sues-022140696.html

CBS News•February 20, 2020

A man who was wrongfully convicted of murder nearly 25 years ago was released from prison last week and is now suing the state of New York for $100 million. Despite the confession from another man 16 years ago, it took more than a decade for Christian Pacheco, 42, to be freed.

•••••

Criminal defense attorney Ken Belkin said wrongful convictions are very difficult to overturn.

"That's a flaw of the system," he said. "If you're the DA, do you really want to go questioning the people that you rely on to prosecute cases … They sort of have this wall of silence where they say, 'Hey, we're all on the same team. Whatever happened, happened.'" Pacheco's conviction was vacated and his indictment was dismissed last week, when he walked out of prison a free man for the first time in nearly 25 years.

•••••