Law360 (August 14, 2026, 6:29 PM EDT) -- After the mayor of New Haven, Connecticut, publicly announced a $30.5 million settlement, a federal judge dismissed two lawsuits accusing the city of civil rights violations tied to two wrongful murder convictions, for which each plaintiff spent nearly 20 years in prison.

U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley on Thursday tossed the cases brought by Vernon Horn and Marquis Jackson, a day after New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker's office said in a statement that each case was settled for $15.25 million. After accounting for insurance payouts, the city is on the hook for $12.75 million to each plaintiff.

Elicker apologized to Horn and Jackson, who were convicted of murder and armed robbery for a fatal shooting at a deli in 1999.

"While these incidents happened more than two decades ago and no amount of money can give them back the years they've lost, as a city we still have an obligation to do what we think is right, to account for any miscarriage of justice and to provide Mr. Horn and Mr. Jackson with some sense of peace moving forward," Elicker said.

In a statement released by his attorneys, Horn thanked Elicker for "putting an end to this nightmare," as well as his legal team and U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Dave Vatti for serving as a mediator.

"I lost years with my family, I lost people I loved while I was in prison, and I missed precious time with my daughter that I can never get back," Horn said. "But I never stopped fighting to prove that I was innocent, even when it felt like no one wanted to hear the truth."

Jackson's attorney, Kenneth Rosenthal, said in a statement that his client spent "27 of his 46 years waiting for this day to finally come."

"He is a remarkable person, thankful that this case has finally been resolved, and determined to make the most of the years that are left," the statement said.

According to an Aug. 7 pretrial memo in the District of Connecticut, Horn and Jackson accused three New Haven police detectives of violating their constitutional rights by "failing to disclose material exculpatory evidence, coercing witnesses, and fabricating evidence during the investigation." The plaintiffs said the city "maintained a policy of unconstitutional investigative police practices" at the time.

Horn's complaint said he was initially released from prison in 2014 when a state habeas court found he had ineffective assistance of counsel, but the Connecticut Supreme Court reversed that holding, and he was returned to prison in 2016. He then filed a federal habeas petition that led to an investigation from his public defender, who discovered 137 pages of exculpatory phone records and other documents in the basement of a now retired detective.

The complaint said detectives knew that the records identified a "Bridgeport crew" as those responsible for the killing of Caprice Hardy but decided to conceal the evidence.

In 2018, prosecutors dismissed all charges against Horn, who spent 17 years in prison, and Jackson, who was behind bars for 19 years.

The mayor's office said the Board of Alders would review the settlements next month at its next meeting. The city's insurance is expected to cover all the defendants' attorney fees for both cases.

Elicker said the allegations "do not involve the New Haven Police Department of today."

In a statement, an attorney for Horn, Nicholas Bourland of Emery Celli Brinckerhoff Abady Ward & Maazel LLP, said the settlement "speaks to the seriousness of the harm Mr. Horn suffered and will help him focus on his future."

"Vernon Horn fought tirelessly for his freedom for nearly two decades," Bourland said. "He then fought for seven years to hold the city of New Haven and its corrupt police officers accountable for robbing him of what should have been the prime of his life."

Counsel for the individual defendants did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday.

On May 29, a Connecticut federal jury awarded $38 million to Stefon Morant on his claims that New Haven had a "widespread practice or custom" of suppressing evidence favorable to criminal defendants when he was wrongfully convicted in a 1990 killing and sent to prison for 21 years.

Separately, the state's claims commission in April awarded $5.7 million to New Haven Alderman Maceo "Troy" Streater to compensate him for 23 years in prison following a murder conviction. The decision cited "substantial evidence of innocence" and said the courts did not know about the conduct of two New Haven detectives accused of suppressing exculpatory information and pressuring witnesses.

A May 19 federal complaint from Charles Coleman Jr., who was incarcerated for 38 years, said the New Haven Police Department had long claimed that at least one rape kit involved in his case had been destroyed, but it was found and retested in 2023, ruling him out as a suspect in a sexual assault. Further testing absolved him of a second crime, he said.

Horn is represented by Nicholas Bourland, Hannah Brudney and Ilann Margalit Maazel of Emery Celli Brinckerhoff Abady Ward & Maazel LLP and Michael Brown of Brown & Patterson LLP.

Jackson is represented by Kenneth Rosenthal.

New Haven is represented by Morgan P. Rueckert, Chelsea C. McCallum, Elizabeth H. Buchanan and Megan C. Medlicott of Shipman & Goodwin LLP.

The individual defendants are represented by Bradford S. Krause, John J. Murphy and Jenna L. Mahoney of Nielsen Zehe & Antas PC and Thomas E. Katon.

The cases are Horn v. New Haven et al., case number 3:18-cv-01502, and Jackson v. New Haven et al., case number 3:19-cv-00388, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut.

--Editing by Nick Siwek.

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