Latest news with #NeufeldScheckBrustinHoffmann&Freudenberger
CBS News
18-04-2025
- CBS News
Alaska Native man who maintained innocence in murder of white teen settles for $11.5 million after 2 decades in prison
An Alaska Native man who maintained his innocence in the 1997 killing of a white teenager has agreed to an $11.5 million settlement with the city of Fairbanks after alleging police acted with a racial bias in a case in which he and three other Indigenous men spent nearly two decades in prison. Marvin Roberts is the last of the so-called Fairbanks Four to reach a settlement with the city after their murder convictions were vacated in 2015. U.S. District Court Judge Sharon Gleason dismissed his long-running civil lawsuit against the city and police officers on Thursday at the request of the parties involved. "I don't think any amount of money will be enough to justify what I endured as an innocent man in prison," Roberts said in a recent statement released by one of the law firms that represented him. "This settlement, however, gives me freedom with my life, and most importantly, more time with my daughter and my parents, who supported me throughout this nightmare." Fairbanks city attorney Tom Chard confirmed the city and its insurance carriers had agreed to an $11.5 million settlement. Terms of the agreement set out a payment schedule, the last due by Oct. 1, 2026. The agreement stipulates that the settlement "shall not be construed as an admission of liability or responsibility" by the defendants. The settlement is a "complete vindication of Marvin Roberts' innocence, which he has maintained with extraordinary dignity for almost three decades," one of Roberts' attorneys, Nick Brustin of Neufeld Scheck Brustin Hoffmann & Freudenberger, LLP, said in a statement released by the New York-based civil rights firm. The agreement comes nearly 1 1/2 years after the other three men, George Frese, Eugene Vent and Kevin Pease, agreed to accept $1.59 million each from the city's insurer. The city said that settlement was "not an admission of liability or fault of any kind." Roberts chose not to settle in 2023, instead choosing to move forward with the appeal, KTUU reported . "They were all offered, you know, $1.6 million or so each. Three out of the four took that deal," Roberts' attorney Mike Kramer said, according to the station. "It's hard to walk away from a million bucks, particularly when the city's still saying 'you're guilty and we're going to appeal everything in this case and we're going to drag this out until you're old men.'" Alaska Native leaders long advocated for the men's release, saying the convictions were racially motivated. Pease is Native American; Frese, Vent and Roberts are Athabascan Alaska Natives. Roberts was the only one of the four who was on parole at the time the convictions were thrown out. A 2015 settlement in a civil case brought by the men that led to the convictions being thrown out followed a weeks-long hearing that reexamined the case in detail and raised the possibility others had killed 15-year-old John Hartman. While the four men each maintained their innocence, the Alaska Department of Law said the settlement was not an exoneration. The men would argue the settlement that led to their release - in which they agreed not to sue - was not legally binding because they were coerced. An appeals court panel ruled in their favor. Fairbanks Police spokesperson Teal Soden said the agency still lists Hartman's killing as an "open/active" case.
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Yahoo
Alaska Native man who alleged wrongful conviction in murder case reaches $11.5M settlement
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — An Alaska Native man who maintained his innocence in the 1997 killing of a white teenager has agreed to an $11.5 million settlement with the city of Fairbanks after alleging police acted with a racial bias in a case in which he and three other Indigenous men spent nearly two decades in prison. Marvin Roberts is the last of the so-called Fairbanks Four to reach a settlement with the city after their murder convictions were vacated in 2015. While the agreement in his long-running civil lawsuit against the city and police officers was announced in late March, the parties on Wednesday formally asked a judge to dismiss Roberts' case, citing the settlement. 'I don't think any amount of money will be enough to justify what I endured as an innocent man in prison," Roberts said in a recent statement. "This settlement, however, gives me freedom with my life, and most importantly, more time with my daughter and my parents, who supported me throughout this nightmare.' Fairbanks city attorney Tom Chard confirmed the city and its insurance carriers had agreed to an $11.5 million settlement. Terms of the agreement set out a schedule for release of funds, with the final payment due by Oct. 1, 2026. The agreement stipulates that the settlement 'shall not be construed as an admission of liability or responsibility' by the defendants. Nick Brustin, a member of Roberts' legal team with Neufeld Scheck Brustin Hoffmann & Freudenberger, LLP, a New York-based civil rights firm, in a statement called the agreement a 'vindication of Marvin Roberts' innocence, which he has maintained with extraordinary dignity for almost three decades.' The agreement comes nearly 1 1/2 years after the other three men, George Frese, Eugene Vent and Kevin Pease, agreed to a settlement in which they each were to receive $1.59 million from the city's insurer. The city in that case said the settlement was "not an admission of liability or fault of any kind.' Alaska Native leaders long advocated for the men's release, saying the convictions were racially motivated. Pease is Native American; Frese, Vent and Roberts are Athabascan Alaska Natives. Roberts was the only one of the four who was on parole at the time the convictions were thrown out. A 2015 settlement in a civil case brought by the men that led to the convictions being thrown out followed a weeks-long hearing reexamining the case in detail and raised the possibility that others had killed 15-year-old John Hartman. While the four men each maintained their innocence, the Alaska Department of Law said the settlement was not an exoneration. The men would argue the settlement that led to their release — in which they agreed not to sue — was not legally binding because they were coerced. An appeals court panel ruled in their favor. Teal Soden, a spokesperson for the Fairbanks police department, said the agency lists Hartman's killing as an 'open/active' case.
Associated Press
17-04-2025
- Associated Press
Alaska Native man who alleged wrongful conviction in murder case reaches $11.5M settlement
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — An Alaska Native man who maintained his innocence in the 1997 killing of a white teenager has agreed to an $11.5 million settlement with the city of Fairbanks after alleging police acted with a racial bias in a case in which he and three other Indigenous men spent nearly two decades in prison. Marvin Roberts is the last of the so-called Fairbanks Four to reach a settlement with the city after their murder convictions were vacated in 2015. While the agreement in his long-running civil lawsuit against the city and police officers was announced in late March, the parties on Wednesday formally asked a judge to dismiss Roberts' case, citing the settlement. 'I don't think any amount of money will be enough to justify what I endured as an innocent man in prison,' Roberts said in a recent statement. 'This settlement, however, gives me freedom with my life, and most importantly, more time with my daughter and my parents, who supported me throughout this nightmare.' Fairbanks city attorney Tom Chard confirmed the city and its insurance carriers had agreed to an $11.5 million settlement. Terms of the agreement set out a schedule for release of funds, with the final payment due by Oct. 1, 2026. The agreement stipulates that the settlement 'shall not be construed as an admission of liability or responsibility' by the defendants. Nick Brustin, a member of Roberts' legal team with Neufeld Scheck Brustin Hoffmann & Freudenberger, LLP, a New York-based civil rights firm, in a statement called the agreement a 'vindication of Marvin Roberts' innocence, which he has maintained with extraordinary dignity for almost three decades.' The agreement comes nearly 1 1/2 years after the other three men, George Frese, Eugene Vent and Kevin Pease, agreed to a settlement in which they each were to receive $1.59 million from the city's insurer. The city in that case said the settlement was 'not an admission of liability or fault of any kind.' Alaska Native leaders long advocated for the men's release, saying the convictions were racially motivated. Pease is Native American; Frese, Vent and Roberts are Athabascan Alaska Natives. Roberts was the only one of the four who was on parole at the time the convictions were thrown out. A 2015 settlement in a civil case brought by the men that led to the convictions being thrown out followed a weeks-long hearing reexamining the case in detail and raised the possibility that others had killed 15-year-old John Hartman. While the four men each maintained their innocence, the Alaska Department of Law said the settlement was not an exoneration. The men would argue the settlement that led to their release — in which they agreed not to sue — was not legally binding because they were coerced. An appeals court panel ruled in their favor. Teal Soden, a spokesperson for the Fairbanks police department, said the agency lists Hartman's killing as an 'open/active' case.
The Independent
17-04-2025
- The Independent
Alaska Native man who alleged wrongful conviction in murder case reaches $11.5M settlement
An Alaska Native man who maintained his innocence in the 1997 killing of a white teenager has agreed to an $11.5 million settlement with the city of Fairbanks after alleging police acted with a racial bias in a case in which he and three other Indigenous men spent nearly two decades in prison. Marvin Roberts is the last of the so-called Fairbanks Four to reach a settlement with the city after their murder convictions were vacated in 2015. While the agreement in his long-running civil lawsuit against the city and police officers was announced in late March, the parties on Wednesday formally asked a judge to dismiss Roberts' case, citing the settlement. 'I don't think any amount of money will be enough to justify what I endured as an innocent man in prison," Roberts said in a recent statement. "This settlement, however, gives me freedom with my life, and most importantly, more time with my daughter and my parents, who supported me throughout this nightmare.' Fairbanks city attorney Tom Chard confirmed the city and its insurance carriers had agreed to an $11.5 million settlement. Terms of the agreement set out a schedule for release of funds, with the final payment due by Oct. 1, 2026. The agreement stipulates that the settlement 'shall not be construed as an admission of liability or responsibility' by the defendants. Nick Brustin, a member of Roberts' legal team with Neufeld Scheck Brustin Hoffmann & Freudenberger, LLP, a New York-based civil rights firm, in a statement called the agreement a 'vindication of Marvin Roberts' innocence, which he has maintained with extraordinary dignity for almost three decades.' The agreement comes nearly 1 1/2 years after the other three men, George Frese, Eugene Vent and Kevin Pease, agreed to a settlement in which they each were to receive $1.59 million from the city's insurer. The city in that case said the settlement was "not an admission of liability or fault of any kind.' Alaska Native leaders long advocated for the men's release, saying the convictions were racially motivated. Pease is Native American; Frese, Vent and Roberts are Athabascan Alaska Natives. Roberts was the only one of the four who was on parole at the time the convictions were thrown out. A 2015 settlement in a civil case brought by the men that led to the convictions being thrown out followed a weeks-long hearing reexamining the case in detail and raised the possibility that others had killed 15-year-old John Hartman. While the four men each maintained their innocence, the Alaska Department of Law said the settlement was not an exoneration. The men would argue the settlement that led to their release — in which they agreed not to sue — was not legally binding because they were coerced. An appeals court panel ruled in their favor. Teal Soden, a spokesperson for the Fairbanks police department, said the agency lists Hartman's killing as an 'open/active' case.
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Yahoo
Final member of Fairbanks Four in wrongful conviction lawsuit against city settles for $11.5 million
Mar. 26—The last plaintiff in a wrongful conviction lawsuit brought by the Fairbanks Four against city officials and police has settled for $11.5 million. Marvin Roberts, Kevin Pease, George Frese and Eugene Vent were convicted of killing 15-year-old John Hartman in Fairbanks in 1997. The four each spent nearly 20 years behind bars before their convictions were vacated in 2015 following a weekslong hearing in which evidence was presented that other people killed Hartman. Roberts was the only man of the four not to settle a civil lawsuit against Fairbanks officials in 2023. The settlement came following a mediation session last weekend. In a statement released this week, Roberts said no amount of money could "be enough to justify what I endured as an innocent man in prison. This settlement, however, gives me freedom with my life, and most importantly, more time with my daughter and my parents, who supported me throughout this nightmare." [Previous coverage: After 18 years in prison, the Fairbanks Four settle into life as free men] The men sued the city and four police officers in 2017 for wrongful imprisonment. They had signed an agreement granting their release that said they would not file a lawsuit, but later argued the document was not legally binding because they were coerced. A lower court judge dismissed the case but an appeals panel overturned that decision in 2020. Pease, Frese and Vent in 2023 reached a settlement in a civil lawsuit against the city for $1.59 million each, officials said at the time. The city did not admit liability or fault when agreeing to the settlement. Roberts, who is from the Yukon River village of Tanana, chose not to settle, according to his lawyer, Fairbanks attorney Mike Kramer. "He decided that is a wholly insufficient sum to come close to even compensating him for what he went through," Kramer said Wednesday. "He wanted his day in court. That's where we were headed." His federal case was scheduled for trial in December. The attorney representing all four police officers withdrew from the case last month, citing a conflict of interest, according to court filings. A judge approved the withdrawal earlier this month. The case remained on schedule for trial. The parties involved in the lawsuit met for mediation on Saturday before reaching the settlement agreement, according to Kramer. The office of the Fairbanks city attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday. The law firms involved in the civil case were Fairbanks-based Kramer and Cosgrove and New York City-based civil rights firm Neufeld Scheck Brustin Hoffmann & Freudenberger, LLP.
