$6 million settlement for man wrongly convicted of Philadelphia murder

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- The City of Philadelphia has reached a $6 million settlement with a man wrongly convicted of murder.

Terrance Lewis was freed last year, after 21 years in prison, fighting to prove he didn't commit a 1996 murder in West Philadelphia.

Common Pleas Judge Barbara McDermott judge finally threw out his conviction last May after new evidence arose in the case.

READ MORE: Philly judge sets wrongfully convicted man free after 21 years in prison

Terrance Lewis and the District Attorney's office was not expecting this as reported by Dann Cuellar during Action News at 11 on May 23, 2019.

Lewis was only 17 when he, a wrongly convicted juvenile lifer, was sent to prison.

When the judge threw out the conviction 21 years later, Lewis says it was like a whole bottle of years and years of emotion began pouring out.

"It's still pouring," he said chuckling. "It's still pouring out, going before Judge McDermott. I thanked her, she's a leading light of that bench."

Mayor Kenney says the money can't give Lewis those years back, but it will fund his work to help others wrongly convicted.

"I know that money alone cannot compensate Mr. Lewis and his family for the 21 years he spent incarcerated. And I know that much more must be done to reform our criminal justice system and to help the families and communities that have been torn apart by instances in which the system didn't work," said Kenney.