Michigan Man Freed After 35 Years In Prison. Could Receive $1.75M

A Michigan man just spent 35 years in prison for a crime he didn't commit.

Thanks to the Cooley Law School Innocence Project, a Michigan man has been released from prison after 35 years. Back in 1988, Louis Wright was sentenced to 25 years to 50 years in prison for breaking into a home in southwest Michigan and sexually assaulting an 11-year-old girl.

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On Thursday, November 9th, 2023, a judge set aside Wright's convictions after a request from the attorney general's office and a Calhoun County prosecutor. This request was based on some new DNA tests that excluded Louis Wright as the perpetrator.

Wright was first identified as a suspect in the case in 1988 after an off-duty police officer said he had seen Wright in the Albion neighborhood where the crime took place. Even though police at the time said that he confessed in an unrecorded interview, Wright did not sign a confession. On top of that, he was never identified by the victim inside or outside of the court.

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During the trial, Wright pleaded no contest and was sentenced to 25 to 50 years in prison. His attempts to withdraw his plea were denied after the trial. According to the Cooley Law School Innocence Project, Wright always maintained his innocence.

Now that Wright is out of prison after being falsely convicted, it is possible that he could be eligible for a substantial amount of money. Under state law, he could receive $50,000 for each year that he spent in prison since the conviction was overturned based on new evidence. After 35 years in prison, the amount would be $1.75 million.

Source: usnews.com