A Bronx man who spent more than 20 years behind bars for a rape he didn’t commit was awarded $18.6 million yesterday by a Manhattan federal jury.
“I am elated, but it really hasn’t kicked in yet,” said Alan Newton as he enjoyed a celebratory dinner at P.J. Clarke’s last night with his lawyer, John Chutty III.
“I’m just feeling numb right now,” he said.
Newton was convicted in 1985 but never gave up on proving his innocence.
In 1994 he made his first request to test the victim’s rape kit, but the NYPD couldn’t find it.
It wasn’t until 2005 that officials located the evidence. They tested it the following year and it proved Newton never committed the heinous crime.
He filed suit in 2007 and after years of legal wrangling with the city, Newton’s lawsuit was allowed to go forward, culminating in yesterday’s blockbuster verdict.
“When the exoneration came, I felt a sense of justice; this is the next level,” said Newton, who now works for CUNY and has said he’ll use part of the money to pay for law school.
“I want to help people that are in need in the justice system,” he said.
A spokeswoman for the City Law Department said: “We are disappointed with the verdict, and plan to appeal.”