Man Settles Malpractice Lawsuit With Noted Lawyers

If you've followed The Innocence Project, the non-profit started by Barry Scheck and Peter Neufeld (pictured, Neufeld on the left, Scheck on the right) which uses DNA evidence to free the wrongfully convicted, you'll find this interesting. Last year, Lee Long sued Scheck and Neufeld, as well as another lawyer and their law firm, for mishandling his wrongful imprisonment claim.

Long was found guilty of raping a woman in Jackson Heights and served six years in prison, but was eventually freed because evidence supporting his alibi was withheld. Then Long hired Scheck and Neufeld to sue the state for wrongful imprisonment, but in turn sued his lawyers for missing a deadline for filing the wrongful imprisonment lawsuit by two days.

The two sides have now settled for $900,000 (Long was originally seeking $3 million). The Sun reports that Long now lives in Birmingham, Alabama and is in ill health. The Innocence Project has helped exonerate 187 people; recent cases include Alan Newton who was imprisoned for 22 years and Scott Fappiano who was imprisoned for 21 years.