Wrongfully Convicted Man in Fatal Brooklyn Shooting Settles With City For $9.5M

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Wrongfully Convicted Man in Fatal Brooklyn Shooting Settles With City For $9.5M

December 11th, 2017

Awake Goy

A wrongfully convicted man is settling his case against New York City for $9.5 million.

Ruddy Quezada — who lived through 24 years in lock up for a fatal Brooklyn shooting he said he had no part in — reached a deal on Thursday, according to Brooklyn Federal Court papers.

In April, Quezada settled a separate case against New York State for $4.5 million.

That brings Quezada’s total payout for the two decades he’s lost to $14 million.

“I’m very happy that this settlement will allow Ruddy to live the rest of his life in peace and comfort after the nightmare he endured,” said his attorney, David Shanies.

“Even $14 million can’t give him back 24 years, but this is a just resolution to a very troubling case.”

A Law Department spokesman said “resolving the case was in the city’s best interest.”

Quezada, 55, was convicted of murder in 1993 for allegedly ordering a deadly drive-by shooting of Jose Rosado two years prior.

He maintained his innocence when he was tried by Brooklyn prosecutors, under District Attorney Charles Hynes.

The case used testimony from a man named Sixto Salcedo — who went back on his word years later.

Salcedo said Quezada was in the car when the shooting took place.

Three other witnesses also told the feds that Quezada was not in there, as Salcedo claimed, but did order the hit on Rosado.

Salcedo recanted in 2001. He claims he felt coerced into what he said on the stand because he was held in a Queens hotel on a material witness warrant the night before he testified.

During the trial, prosecutors withheld the details Salcedo’s secret overnight stay.

Quezada was released in August 2015, when prosecutors for Hynes’ successor, the late Ken Thompson, vacated his case.

Thompson’s office uncovered a 2004 email that confirmed an appeals prosecutor knew about Salcedo being stashed away at a hotel.

The prosecutor previously said she didn’t know anything about the witness warrant.

That led Thompson to determined they couldn’t stand by the conviction any longer.

Quezada walked out of court a free man that day, while the appeals prosecutor was shown the door.

He is the latest person to resolve a Brooklyn wrongful conviction civil rights case, at a steep cost to the city.

Last month, city lawyers stipulated to a $2.5 million settlement with Joel Fowler, who served eight years for a murder rap that was cleared.

A month before that, Andre Hatchett settled his case for $12.25 million, after being incarcerated 25 years.

And even earlier this year, the city said it would pay out $26 million to two men cleared of triple homicide.

Source: http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/nyc-crime/wrongfully-convicted-man-settles-nyc-9-5m-article-1.3686699

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