Innocent man who spent 27 years in jail for murder he didn't commit awarded $15m

Source = ibtimes.co.uk

The payout came after investigators found previously unreleased evidence

A man who spent 27 years behind bars for a murder he didn't commit is set to receive a $15m (£11.2m) payout from officials.

In 1985, Frank O'Connell was convicted of the murder of 27-year-old Jay French, who was found shot dead in a car park in South Pasadena.

O'Connell was picked out in a police photo search by a witness and further evidence came to light that he had been seeing French's ex-wife.

CBS reported that when police found O'Connell had been having an affair with the woman and had also moved in with her not long before the shooting, he was charged with French's death.

As part of the trial, O'Connell opted to face a judge without a jury and in April 1985 was sentenced to spend at least 25 years in prison.

But special investigators found that certain pieces of evidence were not brought to the trial by police, which could have proved O'Connell's innocence.

One of these was that the witness who had selected him as the man behind the murder admitted he had "barely seen the shooter" and "felt pressured" to identify someone.

In March 2012, a court allowed Frank O'Connell's petition for a writ of habeas corpus, which allows an individual to be brought to court if there are concerns raised about the legality of their detention.

After spending some time debating the case with Los Angeles Board, a settlement was eventually agreed on.

The sum of $15m is thought to be the largest between the county and an individual claimant in a decade and is so large that it is expected to be paid out over two years.