NEW HAVEN — Four men wrongfully convicted of a 1996 shooting in New Haven that left one person dead and two injured have been awarded $4.2 million each.
Carlos Ashe, Johnny Johnson, Darcus Henry and Sean Adams spent almost 17 years in prison before they were released in 2013 when a judge dismissed charges. They sought a settlement under the state’s compensation statute on wrongful incarceration.
The state’s Claims Commissioner filed a decision Friday ordering the payment.
They were convicted largely on the testimony of a witness who was offered a reduced sentence on unrelated charges in exchange for his testimony, but who said he wasn’t offered a deal.
Victor Sipos, who’s representing the four men, tells the New Haven Register he hopes the decision prevents “similar injustice in the future.”
