investigators | business fraud | criminal defenseLowell settles wrongful imprisonment suit with Dennis Maher
Dec.15.2017
Lowell settles wrongful imprisonment suit with Dennis Maher
BOSTON –Dennis Maher and his lawyers reached a $160,000 settlement with the city of Lowell for his wrongful conviction for the rape and sexual assault of two women in 1983. He was sentenced to life in prison, but Maher won his freedom in 2003 after DNA tests cleared his name. Maher spent more than 19 years in prison.
The town of Ayer continues a legal battle to dismiss a civil rights case filed by Maher over his wrongful imprisonment. Maher accused Lowell and Ayer police of using improper identification techniques, failing to disclose evidence, failing to investigate, and fabricating evidence.
John Nardizzi has led the investigation into the events surrounding the flawed investigation done in Ayer and Lowell. Another Nardizzi client, the Estate of Kenneth Waters, also has a pending case against Ayer. Kenneth Waters was wrongfully arrested and convicted, and served nineteen years of a life sentence, for the 1980 murder and armed robbery of Katharina Brow. Waters was released from prison following the filing of a nolle prosequi in which the District Attorney acknowledged that new DNA evidence had revealed the blood of an unknown person at the murder scene. The DA did not acknowledge Waters’ innocence.
Waters later died as the result of an accident.
BOSTON –Dennis Maher and his lawyers reached a $160,000 settlement with the city of Lowell for his wrongful conviction for the rape and sexual assault of two women in 1983. He was sentenced to life in prison, but Maher won his freedom in 2003 after DNA tests cleared his name. Maher spent more than 19 years in prison.
The town of Ayer continues a legal battle to dismiss a civil rights case filed by Maher over his wrongful imprisonment. Maher accused Lowell and Ayer police of using improper identification techniques, failing to disclose evidence, failing to investigate, and fabricating evidence.
John Nardizzi has led the investigation into the events surrounding the flawed investigation done in Ayer and Lowell. Another Nardizzi client, the Estate of Kenneth Waters, also has a pending case against Ayer. Kenneth Waters was wrongfully arrested and convicted, and served nineteen years of a life sentence, for the 1980 murder and armed robbery of Katharina Brow. Waters was released from prison following the filing of a nolle prosequi in which the District Attorney acknowledged that new DNA evidence had revealed the blood of an unknown person at the murder scene. The DA did not acknowledge Waters’ innocence.
Waters later died as the result of an accident.