Jury awards $21 mil in wrongful conviction suit

A federal jury has awarded more than $21 million to a Chicago man who says he spent nearly 12 years in prison after being wrongfully convicted.

The jury ruled in favor of Juan Johnson Monday in a lawsuit against the city of Chicago, the Chicago Police Department and a detective involved in the case.

Johnson was convicted in 1991 of beating a man to death and sentenced to 30 years in prison.

The Illinois Appellate Court reversed the conviction in 2002 based on new evidence that showed a detective had coerced witnesses to implicate him. A jury acquitted Johnson in 2004.

Chicago Department of Law spokeswoman Jennifer Hoyle didn't immediately return telephone messages from The Associated Press.