Man Wrongly Imprisoned Receives $8M Settlement From City

The Tulsa City Council approved an $8 million settlement for a man who spent 15 years in prison, only to have his conviction overturned.

Former inmate Sedrick Courtney and the City of Tulsa have been in talks for weeks and finally reached an agreement. Councilors met in executive session and approved the settlement.

9/29/2015 Related Story: No Deal Yet: Man Wrongly Imprisoned Seeks Million Dollar Settlement From Tulsa

Courtney filed the suit after he served time for a robbery conviction that was over turned and the charges dropped after DNA evidence undermined a key piece of evidence from the trial.

Courtney’s attorney asked for the multi-million dollar settlement because Tulsa Police gathered the evidence used to convict him.

After previous big payouts, the city’s political leaders decided if the city were to agree to a big settlement, they wanted in on the negotiations. This case triggered the first use of a “million dollar rule” at city hall.