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Frank Lee Smith died of cancer on death row, just months before DNA exonerated him of raping and murdering an 8-year-old girl in Fort Lauderdale. Now, more than 13 years later, his family's civil lawsuit against the Broward Sheriff's Office and two detectives accused of framing him has finally been settled. Smith's death made him a national symbol because it was the first case in the U.S. that scientifically proved an innocent man had died in prison for a crime he didn't commit. But the financial settlement reached with the Sheriff's Office - on behalf of the agency and retired detectives Richard Scheff and Philip Amabile - is much less than the millions awarded in Broward's other notorious wrongful conviction cases. The civil suit was recently settled for just $340,000 - including attorney fees and legal costs, lawyers Michael Wrubel and James Green told the Sun Sentinel. They filed the lawsuit on behalf of Smith's closest surviving relative, his half-sister Virginia Smith, of Sunrise.

A man who spent 20 years in prison before being cleared of rape and murder charges by DNA evidence has won an initial battle in his bid to hold Lake County police and prosecutors financially responsible. Ruling on motions to dismiss Juan Rivera's lawsuit, U.S. District Judge Harry Leinenweber let almost every allegation in the suit go forward. The ruling allows Rivera to keep trying to hold prosecutors liable for his ordeal. A successful lawsuit against prosecutors is rare because they enjoy broad legal immunity, experts said. Leinenweber also declined to dismiss a defamation claim, meaning authorities could still be liable for publicly insisting on Rivera's guilt even after DNA indicated he didn't kill 11-year-old Holly Staker in Waukegan in 1992. At issue are quotes from police and a prosecutor reported in the media, including an officer's assertion, reported by The New York Times shortly before Rivera was freed, that he was "guilty as the day is long."

Original Article09/13/2013 A Wymore man falsely accused of rape will appeal the dismissal of his lawsuit against Gage County and several of its deputies, his lawyer said Friday. _____, 50, sued the county and law enforcement officials over his 2...

Oswego -- An Oswego city councilor has filed a lawsuit against SUNY Oswego's student-run newspaper, The Oswegonian, after the newspaper mistakenly identified him as a registered sex offender. Councilor Mike Todd, R-3rd Ward, filed the court action after The Oswegonian published a news story identifying him as a registered sex offender and co-owner of a taxi company. Todd is neither. The suit alleges that the newspaper made a "false and defamatory statement" causing Todd "financial loss, ridicule and public humiliation."

A college newspaper is again the subject of a libel lawsuit. The Oswegonian, State University of New York-Oswego's "only independent, not for profit, student run newspaper," is being sued for libel after it wrongly identified local city councilor Michael Todd as "a registered sex offender and co-owner of a taxi company" when he "is neither," Syracuse.com reported. The Feb. 15 story in question reports on Todd's proposed law against taxi companies hiring sex offenders but then wrongly reports "Todd is a registered sex offender and manager of D&M taxi company with his brother, Brian Savage."

A Canfield couple has sued the city of Canfield and some of its police officers and brass and an assistant Mahoning County prosecutor for at least $5 million in federal court, saying their 11-year daughter was maliciously prosecuted and falsely imprisoned on rape charges, of which she was later acquitted. The lawsuit was filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court by Michael and Renee Rubesich, of Willow Bend Drive, against Anissa Modarelli, an assistant county prosecutor assigned to juvenile court; Canfield Police Chief Chuck Colucci, Detective Brian McGivern, Sgt. Scott Weamer and officers Timothy Lamping and Lea Byers; the city of Canfield; and 20 John Doe defendants who the suit says are police officers, detectives, supervisors, in-charge officers or commanders.

Original Article08/01/2013 By Jeff ChiricoCOBB COUNTY (CBS ATLANTA) - [name withheld], of Cobb County, filed a lawsuit Thursday against the Cobb County District Attorney's Office and other agencies for wrongful prosecution, stemming from his arr...

A former Chicago Police sergeant whose rape conviction was overturned in 2011 has filed a lawsuit against the woman who accused him. John Herman filed the suit in Cook County Circuit Court Friday, claiming that the woman falsely accused him to get money from the city. The woman had sued the city in federal court and received a $1.5 million dollar legal settlement, the Sun-Times reported at the time of the 2011 Illinois Appellate Court decision that overturned Herman's conviction. According to the suit, Herman had consensual sex with the woman in her apartment on March 9, 2004. She later accused Herman of kidnapping her, driving to her apartment and forcing her to have sex with him at gunpoint, the Sun-Times reported. Herman is claiming that the woman's accusations and the resulting prosecution caused him to lose his job, damaged his reputation and caused him to serve four years in prison. Herman was convicted of rape and sentenced to 25 years in prison, but the Illinois Appellate Court overturned the conviction on October 2, 2011, according to the suit. The three-count suit charges the woman with malicious prosecution, abuse of process and defamation and asks for more than $100,000 in damages.

North Carolina's State Bureau of Investigation and its insurers have agreed to pay $12.475 million to two innocent men who spent a total of 31 years behind bars. The state agreed to pay $7.85 million to settle the state lawsuit filed by Floyd Brown, a mentally disabled man locked up for 14 years in a psychiatric hospital based on what his lawyers said was a false confession created out of whole cloth by an SBI agent. Brown has also reached a separate settlement with Anson County, whose sheriff's deputies helped investigate the case. A federal judge has sealed the Anson County settlement; North Carolina law requires that all such court settlements be public records.

Original Article12/12/2013By JOHN MONKMANNING - Be sure you're correct when you call someone a registered sex offender. LIke, really sure. A Clarendon County jury awarded $890,000 in damages to a man who his fellow condominium owners - all on th...