"Ronnie Long Receives $25M Settlement for 44-Year Wrongful Imprisonment"

Ronnie Long, a Black man wrongfully convicted of raping a white woman and imprisoned for 44 years, has reached a historic $25 million settlement with the city of Concord, North Carolina. The settlement, the second-largest of its kind, comes after Long's exoneration and includes a public apology from the city. Long's attorneys highlighted numerous issues with his trial, including the removal of Black potential jurors and the disappearance of key evidence. Long and his legal team hope his case will set a standard for handling similar wrongful conviction cases and contribute to criminal justice reform.