Anthony Hall spent more than 25 years in prison for a 1991 murder that the courts now say he did not commit. Next month, Baltimore’s mayor-controlled spending board is expected to weigh an $11 million settlement that would end his civil lawsuit accusing city police of misconduct. The potential payout would come on top of roughly $2.36 million the state awarded him earlier this year for erroneous confinement and would rank among Baltimore’s largest recent wrongful-conviction settlements.
According to The Baltimore Banner, the spending board is slated to take up the proposed $11 million deal in early August. City documents summarize Hall’s lawsuit as accusing Baltimore Police of “intentional and unconscionable misconduct,” and the paperwork notes the case was vigorously contested before both sides moved toward a settlement.
How Hall Was Cleared
Hall’s conviction was thrown out after Baltimore Circuit Judge Charles Peters granted him a writ of actual innocence in March 2023. Prosecutors later dropped the case entirely, according to the Maryland Daily Record. A reinvestigation by the Mid-Atlantic Innocence Project turned up interview notes and other material that the group said undercut the government’s trial evidence.
What the Lawsuit Alleges
In April 2024, Hall sued the Baltimore Police Department along with three former officers, accusing them of fabricating evidence, hiding exculpatory statements and pursuing a malicious prosecution in violation of both federal and state law. According to Justia, the filings describe detectives’ interviews, claims that witnesses later recanted, and a Monell theory that seeks to hold the department itself liable.
City's Response And Case Status
Litigation reports from the Baltimore City Law Department list Hall’s case and show the city pushing back on his allegations as the lawsuit moved through discovery, with a multimillion-dollar demand on the table. Those same records indicate Hall was seeking roughly $15 million in damages before the parties arrived at the settlement option now heading to the spending board.
Where This Fits In
Baltimore has been writing some very large checks in recent years over wrongful convictions and police misconduct, including a $48 million settlement for the “Harlem Park Three” that was approved in 2023. Coverage of that case underscored how costly and politically sensitive these claims have become for City Hall. The Washington Post reported extensively on the Harlem Park settlement and the national attention it drew.
State Payment And Legal Roadmap
Before the current proposal surfaced, Hall received $2,360,988 from the Maryland Board of Public Works in February 2024 under the state’s administrative compensation system for erroneous confinement, plus attorney fees listed in the board’s agenda. The records show that award followed an Office of Administrative Hearings ruling in which an administrative law judge found no evidence tying Hall to the killing.
The mayor-controlled spending board is scheduled to meet in early August to decide whether to approve the $11 million settlement. A yes vote would end Hall’s civil case without a trial and quietly add another hefty entry to Baltimore’s wrongful-conviction ledger. Hall’s attorneys did not immediately respond to interview requests, and city officials offered no comment beyond what appears in the board filings, The Baltimore Banner reports.
