Exonerated Man Sues For $75 Million
POSTED: Tuesday, May 6, 2008
UPDATED: 11:47 pm EDT May 6,
2008
STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. -- A man, who was cleared of all charges against him in Sterling Heights after spending 11 years in prison, is filing a multimillion dollar lawsuit for being wrongfully convicted.
Recent DNA testing has cleared Nathaniel Hatchett, 29, of kidnapping and raping a Macomb County woman in 1998. He was also convicted of carjacking the victim's car.
Macomb County Prosecutor Eric Smith announced that after a lengthy investigation, he has decided not to pursue rape, armed robbery and kidnapping charges against Hatchett.
Hatchett was 17 years old when he was sent to prison and was 29 years old when he walked out in April. Hatchett, through the Cooley Innocence project, filed a motion for a retrial based on recent DNA testing.
Smith said DNA samples collected from the victim at the time of the rape did not match Hatchett's DNA.
Hatchett is suing two cities, several police departments and prosecutors involved in the case for $75 million.
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