On August 23, 2024, ECBAWM client James Davis won a settlement against the City of New York for his wrongful prosecution, conviction and over 17-year imprisonment for a murder he did not commit.

Mr. Davis was convicted in 2006 at the age of 21 without any physical evidence linking him to the shooting death of Blake Harper at a party at a Brooklyn Masonic Temple. Homicide detectives knew they had no credible evidence that James Davis was the perpetrator, but inexplicable targeted him as their suspect and improperly influenced witnesses to falsely implicate him. Relying solely on the false identification of a violent drug dealer from Brownsville, Brooklyn, the police and prosecutors maliciously prosecuted and convicted Mr. Davis despite multiple witnesses’ statements that he was not at the scene when the shooting happened. After years of fighting to prove his innocence, the courts finally agreed in 2021 that Mr. Davis’ conviction should be reversed.

Following the reversal, ECBAWM attorneys Julia P. Kuan and Sam Shapiro sought compensation for the unimaginable suffering Mr. Davis endured during his wrongful prosecution, conviction and incarceration. The $8.5 million settlement will finally provide some justice to Mr. Davis for the injustices he suffered. We are proud to continue to support all who have suffered at the hands of the criminal legal system and will continue to fight to hold the government accountable.