After 24 Years Behind Bars, Jury Awards John Walker Jr. $28M for Wrongful Conviction

John Walker Jr., a member of the Buffalo 5, was awarded $28 million in damages after a jury determined his constitutional rights were violated during a wrongful conviction that led to more than 22 years behind bars. The case stemmed from a 1976 robbery and murder in Buffalo, New York, for which Walker and his friend, Daryl Boyd, were arrested and prosecuted despite a complete lack of physical evidence linking them to the crime.

The jury found that key exculpatory evidence had been withheld during the original investigation and trial—information that could have cleared Walker well before he was ever convicted. “I really don't understand what just happened to me and my feelings about it. It is going to take a minute to sink in, but I feel good today,” Walker said following the verdict, reflecting on the emotional weight of the decision.

Erie County, held responsible for the prosecutorial misconduct, was ordered to pay the full $28 million in damages. This comes in addition to a previous settlement from the City of Buffalo, which agreed to pay over $4 million each to Walker and Boyd for the decades they spent wrongfully imprisoned. Together, the compensation serves as a late but powerful acknowledgment of the miscarriage of justice that robbed them of their freedom.

Walker and Boyd, both victims of a deeply flawed legal process, maintained their innocence throughout the years. Unfortunately, Boyd passed away earlier this year before he could witness this final measure of justice. The new ruling not only delivers overdue accountability to the agencies involved but also highlights systemic issues in the criminal legal system that can lead to life-altering consequences for the wrongfully accused.

The verdict is one of the largest individual civil rights awards in Erie County’s history, and for Walker, it's a significant step toward healing after decades of suffering. “It’s going to take time to process,” he said, “but today, I can finally say I feel good.”

Link: WGRZ