Two Brooklyn Men Awarded $500,000 for Wrongful Arrest

Meliek Sanders and Corey Phillips cleared by DNA evidence

The city will pay $500,000 to settle a federal lawsuit for two Brooklyn men who were falsely arrested and jailed for 11 months for a series of robberies they did not commit.

Thanks to DNA evidence and surveillance video Meliek Sanders and Corey Phillips were cleared of the robbery charges against them. A video from one of the robberies shows the assailants were both the same height but Sanders is an astounding 6-feet-6 inches tall and Phillips is remarkably shorter.

A spokesman for the Law Department stated the settlement was in the best interest of the city based on the evidence. Legal fees amounting to $250,000 will also be paid by the city.

How do you put a price on injustice? Two lives were turned upside down and their civil rights violated. Time is something we cannot get back and jail isn’t a pleasant experience for anyone.

Their lawyer Michael Lumer stated, “While nothing will make up for the eleven months Meliek and Corey spent wrongly imprisoned, this resolution will help them reclaim their lives.”

For over 40 years, David H. Perecman has distinguished himself as one of the leading personal injury lawyers in New York City, championing all types of personal injury cases including construction accidents, premises accidents, automobile accidents, and medical malpractice, along with employment discrimination, false arrest, and civil rights cases.