$13,000,000 Settlement - Wrongful Conviction

After nearly 29 years wrongly incarcerated for the murder of his ex-wife, Herman Williams has received an important measure of accountability – civil justice through a $13 million settlement – a result that was achieved just two years after filing his case. In 1993, Herman was wrongfully convicted for the murder of his former wife in Lake County, Illinois. Herman’s wrongful conviction was the result of a fabricated confession, manufactured and concealed evidence, and false testimony by law enforcement, public servants who had abandoned their professional and ethical obligations in order to close the case and advance their careers. Herman spent nearly 29 years incarcerated and proved his innocence in 2022, when he was granted a Certificate of Innocence.

Romanucci & Blandin Founding Partner Antonio M. Romanucci and Senior Attorney Sam A. Harton, together with Hart McLaughlin & Eldridge Founding Partners Brian Eldridge and Steven A. Hart, Partner John Marrese, Associate Paige Smith, and Paralegal Morgan Forbes, represented Herman. The Illinois Innocence Project was also integral in Herman’s release from prison and his fight to clear his name. Attorney Patrick J. Driscoll also contributed to this case and its resolution.