Court orders new trial in wrongful conviction suit

BOSTON (AP) - An Appeals Court has ordered a new trial in a lawsuit filed by a Boston man wrongly convicted of murder, saying a judge's error may have influenced a jury's decision to award the man $14 million.

Shawn Drumgold's attorney told The Boston Globe they are confident they can show at another trial that the city and a detective were at fault in Drumgold's conviction.

A spokeswoman for the mayor's office said the city was pleased but hasn't decided how to proceed.

Drumgold's conviction in the 1988 slaying of a 12-year-old girl was overturned in 2003, after the key witness recanted.

Drumgold then successfully sued. But the court said the judgment couldn't stand because the judge erred in instructing jurors about how they should decide if a detective's wrongdoing caused Drumgold's conviction.

Cox Media Group