Cook County settles suit by former inmate

Cook County's commissioners have agreed to settle a lawsuit that claimed a man who spent time on Illinois' death row was wrongfully prosecuted.

The Cook County Board on Tuesday agreed to pay $525,000 to Leroy Orange.

Orange was among scores of black suspects who claimed they were kicked, beaten and shocked into confessions in the 1970s and 80s at the Area 2 detective headquarters.

Orange was sentenced to die for allegedly taking part in the stabbing of his former girlfriend, her 10-year-old son and two others. The conviction came despite Orange's description of torture and testimony his half brother stabbed the victims.

Two years ago, Chicago's portion of Orange's lawsuit was settled for $5.5 million.

Cook County's payment deals with alleged wrongdoing by now-retired assistant state's attorney Dennis Dernbach.