Recent reports show that police departments throughout New York paid out over $205 million in settlements over the last year alone as a result of police misconduct claims. This staggering amount represents an all-time high over the past seven years according to data collected by the Legal Aid Society.

Analysts say that one of the main reasons the settlement average was so high in 2024 was because of several wrongful conviction cases from Queens that were finally resolved decades after the initial arrests.

These three cases alone made up 22% of the total settlements made in 2024. The three cases settled for around $15 million each, making a total of $45 million for those three cases alone.

This case revolved around Rohan Bolt, Gary Johnson, and George Bell, who were all wrongfully convicted of a 1996 double murder. All three men were officially found to have been wrongfully convicted in March of 2021. Collectively, the trio spent 72 years in prison for the murders that none of them played any part in committing.

According to reports, the main reason the three men were wrongfully convicted was because of a failure by police and Queens prosecutors to share evidence with each other at the time of the 1996 murders. Reports show that police officers and prosecutors had evidence at the time of the trial that proved members of a local gang were responsible for the fatal robbery, but this evidence was never revealed until the case was under review by the Queens District Attorney’s Conviction Integrity Unit in 2021.

This investigation showed that not only did police know about the evidence that suggested someone else committed the crime, but the prosecutors also apparently were in possession of the evidence and chose to ignore it. Sadly, it’s apparent that the District Attorney’s Office deliberately withheld the information and breached their duty of care towards the three men and the justice system.

The Legal Aid Society believes that even more cases like this will be forthcoming if the governor is able to make her proposed reforms to existing discovery laws. The governor hopes to close loopholes that often delay trials and create an obligation for prosecutors to share evidence relevant to a case. The proposed changes are currently under review, with some advocates thinking they’ll improve the situation and opponents saying the changes will be a setback.

Do You Believe You Were Wrongfully Convicted?

Do you believe that you or a loved one was wrongfully convicted of a crime? If so, then it’s imperative that you get an experienced lawyer who can advocate for you to the fullest. As you’d imagine, it’s extremely difficult to prove that you were wrongfully convicted.

Here at Bukh Law, our team of highly specialized Brooklyn attorneys can help you identify your best options based on the circumstances of your case. We can help you determine if pursuing a wrongful conviction claim is in your best interests, and if so, then we’ll represent you every step of the way.

Schedule a free and confidential case review with our team now to talk about your case in more detail with our team.