An unusual incident in California has attracted widespread public attention. This was reported by Zamin.uz.
Morris Hastings, who was wrongfully imprisoned for 38 years, was awarded $25 million in compensation by the state. According to The Guardian, this is the largest compensation ever awarded for wrongful conviction in California's history.
Hastings was found guilty of murdering a woman named Roberta Weidermayer in 1983 and spent many years in prison. He continuously fought to prove his innocence.
DNA testing conducted in 2022 confirmed that he was completely innocent. The DNA traces found at the crime scene belonged to another person, Kenneth Packnett.
Packnett was later imprisoned for several crimes and died in prison in 2020. During previous investigations and trials, the police and prosecution ignored this evidence and blamed Hastings.
It was only in 2000, at Hastings' request, that a DNA test was planned, but the results were revealed 21 years later, in 2022. In 2023, the court officially declared him innocent.
In an interview following the court decision, Hastings said, "No amount of money can return the 38 years of my life that were stolen." His lawyer, Nick Brastin, emphasized that this case serves as a warning and an important lesson for the country's law enforcement system.
Thus, one man's long struggle for justice not only restored personal truth but also exposed serious flaws in the judicial and investigative systems. This incident highlights the need for further improvement of the legal system.
