Civil Plaintiff
A Man Will Receive a $2 Million Settlement for His Wrongful Conviction
Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams agreed Monday to settle a wrongful conviction lawsuit filed by a freed Angola lifer for $2 million, the latest step toward wrapping up lingering misconduct claims from earlier administrations.
The DA’s Office said it will pay former state prisoner Robert Jones in annual installments of $342,000 until 2026. Meanwhile, it has agreed to new policies for turning over evidence to defendants ahead of trial.
Jones, now 48, waged a 23-year battle from prison to overturn his convictions in a string of crimes in the French Quarter. He was released in 2015, prosecutors dropped their bid to retry him in 2017 and he filed a lawsuit against the office in 2018.
