Overview
- Baltimore’s Board of Estimates on Wednesday approved a $14 million agreement to end Washington’s federal lawsuit against the Police Department and involved officers.
- City attorneys said settling was prudent due to aged detectives, a recanted juvenile account, missing or incomplete records, and the risks of trial.
- Washington, now 64, previously received $2,982,205 in state compensation plus housing benefits and a formal apology from Gov. Wes Moore, bringing total payments to about $17.07 million.
- In 2018 a judge granted a writ of actual innocence and ordered a new trial, prosecutors dropped the case in 2019, and a 2024 administrative ruling found he was erroneously convicted.
- City leaders called the case a reminder of the need for strong police oversight and noted Baltimore’s broader pattern of recent exonerations, including 23 of Maryland’s 30 since 2018.