The record settlement of $25 million in the Ronnie Long case was recently spotlighted in both North Carolina Lawyers Weekly and the Q1 edition of North Carolina Advocates for Justice’s Trial Briefs. Chris Olson, founding partner of Olson Law, PLLC, represented Mr. Long both during his fight to win his freedom and throughout the civil rights lawsuit that brought about the record settlement.
In May 1976, Ronnie Long was arrested for the rape of an older white widow at her home in Concord. No physical evidence tied Mr. Long to either the victim or the crime scene. The case was built upon the supposed identification of Mr. Long after a contrived and highly suggestive courtroom ID procedure. Substantial exculpatory evidence was collected but was unlawfully concealed by investigators. Evidence of that misconduct would trickle out over the next 40 years, leading to Mr. Long’s exoneration in August 2020 and him being granted a Pardon of Innocence in December 2020.
Mr. Long’s exoneration was secured after years of painstaking work by the Duke Wrongful Convictions Clinic, led by Jamie Lau and Jim Coleman. Olson served as pro bono counsel and assisted with the effort to have Mr. Long’s convictions overturned. Mr. Long was finally released from prison on August 27, 2020, after spending 44 years, 3 months, and 17 days incarcerated as an innocent man.
Olson and Olson Law, PLLC then represented Mr. Long in his post-exoneration civil suit that was filed in May 2021 against the City of Concord and several of its police officers. After the lawsuit was filed, it was learned that State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) personnel also were involved in the underlying criminal investigation. An amended complaint was filed in June 2021. Claims against the SBI defendants were settled for $3 million in March 2023. The remaining claims against Concord and its police officers were settled for $22 million in January 2024. In addition to the monetary payment, the City agreed to issue a formal apology to Mr. Long and his family for the wrongs done to them.
The photo of Mr. Long is by Peter Weinberger / The Charlotte Observer via AP file.
