Man wrongfully convicted of sexual assault gets $1.75 million after 35 years in prison

A Michigan man who was wrongfully imprisoned for sexual assault is now getting a major payout from the state.

The Michigan Attorney General's office approved $1.75 million in compensation to Louis Wright, who spent 35 years in prison for a sexual assault he didn't commit. The state exonerated Wright of the charges and he was released in November after a DNA test ruled him out as the suspect.

Those who are exonerated based on new evidence can receive $50,000 for every year spent in a Michigan prison, but the attorney general's office will sometimes resist paying due to strict criteria in the law.

A judge approved the deal Wednesday. Wright told the Associated Press he plans to use the money to buy a house for himself and a vehicle for a sister.

“Nothing can make up for 35 years in a Michigan prison for something he did not do," Wright's attorney, Wolf Mueller, told the Associated Press. “This is a first step toward getting Louis’ life back at the age of 65.”

Mueller filed a lawsuit against Albion police, alleging Wright's rights were violated and is seeking more than $100 million in damages.

DNA clears Wright's name from 1988 crime

Wright maintained his innocence since being accused of sexually assaulting an 11-year-old girl in Albion, a town in southwestern Michigan.

The Cooley Law School Innocence Project said on its website Albion police named Wright as a suspect after an off-duty officer said Wright was seen in the neighborhood before the assault happened. Police claimed Wright confessed, but the interview wasn't recorded and Wright did not sign a confession.

The victim wasn't asked to identify anyone nor did police conduct identification procedures, the Innocent Project said.

Thousands freed from US prisons

More than 3,400 people have been exonerated of crimes they didn't commit since 1989, according to the National Registry of Exonerations. They spent more than 31,000 years in prison.

The registry tracks six factors that lead to wrongful convictions: official misconduct, perjury or false accusation, false or misleading forensic evidence, false confession, mistaken witness identification and inadequate legal defense.

Black people make up 53% of the 3,200 exonerations in the National Registry of Exonerations, making them seven times more likely than white people to be falsely convicted of serious crimes, according to the registry's report.

Contributing: N'dea Yancey-Bragg, Thao Nguyen, USA TODAY; Associated Press.