People’s Law Office obtains $2.7 million settlement for Paul Terry
News posted on Jun 2nd, 2009
Attorneys from People’s Law Office have obtained a $2.7 million settlement for Paul Terry, who was wrongfully imprisoned in 1986 after he and Michael Evans were falsely convicted of murder, kidnapping and rape.
Paul and his family settled his case because it was in his and his family’s best interests financially, psychologically and emotionally to settle now, rather than to subject Paul and his family to the trauma of a trial, the risk of an unfavorable verdict, and probability of many years of appeals after a victory at trial.
All too often, cases that present the possibility of large jury verdicts are tried, rather than settled, because it is in the attorney’s, rather than the client’s, best interest to go to trial. In Paul’s case, the Area 2 detectives who investigated the case used “street files” to permanently suppress the documentary record of their efforts to frame Paul. People’s Law Office attorneys were the first to expose the “street files” system that was used by the Chicago Police Department, and forced the CPD to change its policy.
Paul and his family pushed strongly for the multi-million dollar settlement because it will assure Paul of a significant yearly income for the rest of his life, as well as all the psychological and medical services he needs.