Wrongly jailed US man gets 5 million dollar

Hartford, Conn., May 18: A man jailed for 18 years for a rape he did not commit was paid 5 million dollar in compensation by the state of Connecticut.

James Tillman, now 45, was arrested in 1988 and sentenced to 45 years in prison a year later. He was exonerated in 2006 and released after a DNA test proved his innocence.

''No amount of money we give Mr Tillman will erase this miscarriage of justice,'' Connecticut House of Representatives Speaker James Amann, a Democrat, said before lawmakers voted unanimously late on Wednesday to give him 5 million dollar.

''We can, however, contribute to his healing, and help Mr Tillman move on with his life,'' Amann said.

The case had racial overtones. The victim, who is white, identified Tillman, who is black, from a police line-up. Police never caught the real rapist.

Connecticut Gov. Jodi Rell, a Republican, has publicly apologized to Tillman on behalf of the state but previously offered him a much smaller 500,000 dollar payment. She said she supports the legislature's 5 million dollar figure.

In exchange for the settlement, Tillman agreed not to sue the state and police for other claims, including medical malpractice due to a botched prison surgery that permanently damaged his right leg.

The lump-sum payment will not be taxed by the state but is subject to federal income taxes.

Tillman, who was 26 when convicted, lives with his mother and works as an office assistant. He often speaks to school groups about his plight and expressed gratitude to lawmakers who supported his cause.

His DNA test in 2006 was granted after lawyers from the Innocence Project, a New York-based legal clinic, got involved on his behalf, working with state authorities.

Reuters>