"Wrongfully Convicted NC Man Receives Record $25M Settlement After 44 Years in Prison"

Ronnie Long, wrongfully convicted and imprisoned for 44 years in North Carolina, has reached a $25 million settlement with the city of Concord and the state, including a public apology, for their role in his wrongful incarceration. Long, a young Black man, was convicted of burglary and rape in 1976 by an all-white jury, but evidence that could have proved his innocence was withheld. The settlement also includes $3 million from the State Bureau of Investigation, and Long's attorneys described the monetary payments as one of the largest wrongful conviction settlements nationwide.