A federal judge threw out an $18.6 million judgment against New York City yesterday that had been awarded to a man who was exonerated by DNA evidence for a 1985 rape.
Judge Shira A. Scheindlin of the Southern District of New York ruled that the long delay by New York City law enforcement in finding a rape kit allegedly linking Alan Newton to the 1985 attack, while reflecting “grave deficiencies” in the authorities’ handling of evidence, did not represent a violation of Mr. Newton’s due process rights.
