A Michigan man who was wrongfully imprisoned for sexual assault is getting a major payout. The Michigan Attorney General's office approved $1.75 million for Louis Wright, who spent 35 years in prison for a sexual assault he didn't commit. The state exonerated Wright and he was released in November after a DNA test ruled him out as the suspect, USA Today reports. Those who are exonerated based on new evidence can receive $50,000 for every year spent in a Michigan prison. Wright told the Associated Press he plans to use the money to buy a house for himself and a vehicle for a sister. “Nothing can make up for 35 years in a Michigan prison for something he did not do," said Wright's attorney, Wolf Mueller. “This is a first step toward getting Louis’ life back at the age of 65.”
Mueller filed a lawsuit against Albion police, seeking more than $100 million in damages. Wright maintained his innocence since being accused of sexually assaulting an 11-year-old girl in Albion, a town in southwestern Michigan. The Cooley Law School Innocence Project said Albion police named Wright as a suspect after an off-duty officer said Wright was seen in the neighborhood before the assault happened. Police claimed Wright confessed, but the interview wasn't recorded and Wright did not sign a confession.
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