Hickory Man Proven Innocent After 24 Years In Prison Gets $3.25M Settlement From City

AP,

HICKORY, N.C. (AP) – A North Carolina man who served 24 years in prison for a rape he didn’t commit has been awarded $3.25 million in a settlement with the city of Hickory.Willie Grimes, left, talks to the media while Larry Lamb, center, and Greg Taylor talk together during a break in the hearing for attorney Chris Mumma before a three-person panel of the North Carolina State Bar, Monday, Jan. 11, 2016, in Raleigh, N.C. Mumma is charged with violating the rules of professional conduct for attorneys while representing Joseph Sledge, who served almost 40 years for a double murder before being released in January 2015. (Chris Seward/The News & Observer via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT

The Hickory City Council voted unanimously Wednesday to approve the settlement agreement with Willie Grimes.

Grimes was convicted in 1988 of raping a 69-year-old Hickory woman and sentenced to life plus nine years. He was paroled in 2012 while still maintaining his innocence.