Louisiana man seeks $480,000 after 42-year wrongful imprisonment

Elvis Brooks, a 69-year-old New Orleans man exonerated after spending 42 years in prison, is seeking up to $480,000 in state compensation from Louisiana. Brooks was originally convicted in connection with a 1977 fatal shooting, but his conviction was later vacated after it was revealed that prosecutors had withheld exculpatory fingerprint evidence.

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill is opposing the compensation claim. Murrill argues that Brooks remains ineligible because he previously accepted a plea deal for manslaughter in 2019, an agreement he entered into before learning about the withheld evidence. Murrill has sought to reinstate the manslaughter charge and reject the compensation request.

Reports indicate that since taking office, Murrill has opposed 22 of 23 wrongful conviction compensation claims. Brooks, who currently lives on Social Security, has described the compensation process as